The Choice
by donna79
Summary: Sometimes the hardest choice we have to make can set us free. This is a story of learing to love again. A Jacob/Bella story set in the beginning stages of Breaking Dawn.
1. The One that Got Away

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Summary: Sometimes the hardest choice you have to make can set you free. This is a story about learning to live again. A Jacob/Bella story set in the beginning stages of Breaking Dawn.**

**AN: I don't know what I am thinking starting another story when I am writing a total of seven right now, two of which aren't even Twilight related. If I get confused and put a character from one of the other stories in here and you happen to catch it please, do not hesitate to tell me. Not only will I fix it immediately, but I will love you forever.**

Contrary to what everyone thought Bella Swan was excited at the idea of marrying Edward Cullen. Her only fear was that he would somehow change his mind, deciding that she wasn't worth everything that he was risking. She had been put at risk numerous times in the time that she knew him. Marrying him was the least of her worries.

She did worry that she wasn't his equal. He treated her like a fragile doll that could break at any second. His opinion of her stung and she was reminded of it every time she looked at the brand new car shining in the sunlight in her driveway.

If he wanted to draw attention to her, he had gone about it the right way. She turned heads everywhere she went. She felt like a walking billboard with 'Look at Me' painted across the back bumper every time she drove it.

With the wedding only three days away she was starting to relax. She had bigger problems to worry about other than Alice's sudden change of mood and that stupid monstrosity that Edward insisted that she drive.

Jacob had been gone for over a month. If anyone from the pack knew where he was they weren't telling. She knew better than to ask Billy. Talking about Jacob only upset him. Sam had probably ordered the pack not to say anything to her.

The only bright spot in the situation was that she had become friends with Quil and Seth. They worried about her more than they should. She was surprised that Sam hadn't banned them from seeing her.

Edward spent more time with her than ever now. She had noticed that he was quieter than normal, more contemplative. She wished that he would tell her what he was thinking. Seth usually stayed with her at night. He slept outside underneath her window. Edward's tense demeanor was most dominant when Quil was around. If he knew what was going on, he didn't let on.

Bella knew in her heart that Edward was the cause of Jacob's leaving. She had asked Alice not to send him a wedding invitation. She had thought that Edward was above rubbing their relationship in Jacob's face. She hadn't spoken to him for days after she found out that he had sent the invitation. That was behind them now, she had tried calling Jacob to apologize but he wasn't answering his phone. She had a feeling that she wasn't the only person he wasn't talking to.

XXXX

Bella woke up two days before the wedding to an empty bed. It was the first time since agreeing to marry Edward that he hadn't been there when she woke up. That alone, should have tipped her off that something wasn't right.

Bella heard the front door open and someone walk up the stairs. A few seconds later a tired Seth walked into the room. He threw himself onto the bed with a grunt. Bella grabbed hold of the nightstand to keep from falling out of the bed.

"Sorry," Seth mumbled, his face buried in the quilt.

"Long night?" she asked in concern.

"Edward left around midnight. I ran patrol all night," he explained.

"Is something going on?" she asked in alarm.

"Alice disappeared. They're all looking for her," he said dismissively.

"I wonder why she left," Bella said as her eyebrows furrowed.

"Carlisle thinks it's because she came up with something for the wedding."

"Oh God, I hope not," Bella groaned.

"Don't you have to pick up your mom at noon?" he pondered.

"What time is it?" she asked, grabbing her phone from the nightstand.

It was almost eight, she had no time do anything of the things she'd planned to do before her mom got there.

"I hate to ask you to do this, but can you call your mom and ask her to pick up a few things from the store? There's a list on the kitchen counter and here's some money," she said, reaching for her wallet while she dressed.

"Sure," he said taking the money.

"Thank you. After you call her why don't you lay down? You need to sleep," she said, running her fingers through his hair affectionately.

Bella was in the car five minutes later. Alice was pushed to the back of her mind so that she could focus on driving. She didn't want to get pulled over for speeding or worse, have an accident.

XXXX

Bella brought Renee's bag in for her even though Renee insisted that she could do it herself. The message light on the answering machine was blinking when Bella came into the kitchen. The message was from Reverend Weber letting her know that he would be at the Cullen's by six that night.

"I wonder why he called here," Renee said.

"I guess everybody is still looking for Alice," Bella said in concern.

"Alice is missing?" Renee asked with raised eyebrows.

"She took off last night," Bella explained worriedly.

"Does she do this a lot?" Her mother asked, mimicking her tone.

"No. Something must be really wrong," she answered before sighing.

"I'm sure they'll find her," Renee said reassuringly.

Bella nodded as she opened the refrigerator. She grabbed two bottled waters before turning back to her mom.

"Is something else bothering you?" Renee prodded.

"I'm worried about Jake. He's been gone for a month now," Bella said sadly.

"You said that he had issues with Edward, and I guess getting the wedding invitation finally broke him," she reasoned.

"It did," Bella confirmed.

"I don't know him, but from what you've told me Jacob can take care of himself," Renee stated confidently.

"I know he can. I just feel that it's just as much my fault than it is Edward's that he left," Bella said in a small voice.

"Why?" Renee asked in concern.

"He was talking about leaving earlier this summer. He wanted me to give him a reason to stay," Bella explained.

"Did you lead him on?" she asked in concern.

"No," Bella said shaking her head.

"Do you have feelings for him?" she prodded.

"Yes," Bella said quietly.

"What kind of feelings?" she asked, encouraging Bella to go on.

"Do you think it's possible to love two people? One who's your soul mate and the other who you're destined to spend your life with?" she pondered.

"I don't know. Do you love one more than the other?"

"I love them both equally," Bella stated.

"Do they know that?" Renee reasoned.

"I explained it to Jacob. I also told him that I would choose Edward if he forced me to," she confirmed.

"Well no wonder he left Bella! That's a huge ego blow. Have you told Edward?" Renee admonished.

"No. I don't want to hurt him," Bella said with a sigh.

"You shouldn't have agreed to marry him. You need to figure out what you want," Renee reasoned once more.

"I want to be with Edward," she said with determination.

"Are you sure? Because after Saturday it's going to be awfully hard to change things," she reminded her.

"I'm positive. I know you think I'm too young to be married, but this is what I want," Bella answered.

"If you're sure than I will support your decision," Renee said with a smile.

"Thanks, Mom."

Renee stood from the table and crossed the room to stand in front of Bella.

"I'm glad you're here," Bella said with a lazy smile.

"I am too, Baby," she said, engulfing Bella in a hug.

Charlie walked in to find them that way a minute later.

"What's going on?" he asked as he hung up his holster.

"She's fine, she just needed a Mom pick me up," Renee reassured him.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready to leave? The rehearsal dinner is in an hour," he reminded Bella.

"I should go change."

"You look fine," Renee said, smoothing down Bella's hair.

Bella wiped the unshed tears from her eyes before heaving a heavy sigh. Renee pulled away when someone knocked on the door. Bella opened the door to see Edward on the porch. His hand grazed her arm as he passed her. She hadn't talked to him all day and seeing him now eased her fears.

"Hello Renee," he said with a kind smile.

"Hi Edward," Renee said returning the smile.

"I thought that I was going to bring them to your house," Bella reminded him.

"There's been a change of plan. Everyone is still looking for Alice," he said quietly.

"Bella said that it isn't like her to just leave without telling anyone."

"It isn't. Usually we can pick up on her emotions when something is bothering her," Edward answered Renee, his voice distant.

_He must be listening in on what's happening with his family._ Bella thought.

"Was she acting like something was bothering her the last time you saw her?" Bella questioned.

"No," Edward answered, shaking his head solemnly.

Charlie came back into the room tucking his only non-flannel or work button down shirt into his pants. He looked up in confusion when he nearly collided with Edward.

"What are you doing here?" he asked gruffly.

"Be nice, Dad," Bella said giving him a pleading look.

"There's been a change of plans," Renee explained.

"What change is that?" Charlie asked.

"I am going to take the three of you out to dinner," Edward said politely.

"What about Reverend Weber? He called here earlier," Bella said.

"I talked to him before coming here. Everything is taken care of. You don't have to worry about a thing," Edward said reassuringly.

"Shall we go?" Renee asked.

"Yes," Edward said with a nod.

The car ride to the restaurant took almost an hour. Bella recognized that it was the restaurant that they had gone to on their first date. Edward came around to her side and opened her door for her. He held out his hand and she smiled her gratitude as she placed her hand in his. Once she was out he pulled the seat forward and held out a hand for Renee.

"Thank you. You are such a gentleman," she said with a smile.

"You're welcome," Edward said, looking at her from under hooded lashes.

Inside the restaurant Edward pulled out Bella and Renee's chairs while Charlie watched in wonder. He wasn't used to Edward doing that kind of thing. He had never seen Edward pull a chair out for Bella before tonight. He personally thought that he was laying on the charm a little thick. No guy was as perfect as Edward was trying to be.

Renee and Edward talked all through dinner while Charlie watched Bella cautiously. She pushed her food across her plate but so far had yet to actually eat. He knew that something was bothering her. He had a feeling that he knew what it was. Jacob was causing her to lose sleep. He had stood outside her door for twenty minutes last night. She had said Jacob's name at least a dozen times.

Edward's eyes left Renee's to look at Bella. The hurt look he was giving her was noticed by Charlie. So Edward did know what was going on. Charlie had hoped that he would call off the wedding until things were sorted out. He should have known that Edward would be too selfish to do that.

"Aren't you going to eat Bella?" Charlie asked.

"I'm not that hungry. Mom and I had a late lunch," she explained.

"You can take yours home if you'd like," Edward offered.

Bella nodded giving him a halfhearted smile. She needed to get her mind off of Jacob. She wasn't being fair to Edward. He broke eye contact with her when Renee said something to him.

"I'm excited to meet your family. I talked to Alice until almost eleven last night," Renee said to change the subject.

A look of shock washed over Edward's face for a split second before he was able to regain control. Renee was the last person that Alice talked to before she went missing. Jasper had thought that she had gone up to their room to shower and now they had found out that she had lied.

"What did she say Mom?" Bella asked.

"Just that Esme was looking forward to finishing the last of the wedding preparations with me," Renee explained.

"Don't you have your bachelor party to go to tonight?" Bella asked Edward.

"You're right, we should go," he said before getting the waitresses attention.

Back at home an hour and a half later Bella lay on the couch staring up at the ceiling. She had given up her room for her mom and now she was stuck sleeping in a room with only one window that was shadowed by the overhang from the porch.

It was bad enough that she had left her phone upstairs because her mom needed it as an alarm clock so she had no clue what time it was because she couldn't see the clock over the fireplace.

She was tempted to stumble her way into the kitchen in the pitch black darkness to get the house phone. She wanted to hear Edward's voice so bad that she ached. A noise on the porch made her sit up. She had thought that Seth and Quil weren't coming tonight.

She felt her way to the front door and turned on the porch light before opening the door. Seth stood under the light shielding his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned in surprise.

"Just checking in, Edward isn't here?" he questioned.

"His bachelor party was tonight."

"I can stay if you want," he offered.

"No. Go home and get a decent night's sleep for once," she said with concern.

"I'll see you Saturday then. Quil said that he'd stay tonight and tomorrow night."

"Okay, I'll see you Saturday," she said with a kind smile.

He pulled her in for a hug and she fell against him. She knew not to ask about Jacob. Quil had let it slip that Sam had put a gag order on them. They were also forbidden to ask a out Jacob by Billy. The two of them had been severed of all contact to Jacob and Quil was obviously hurting.

Charlie had been going down to the reservation three times a week until he had made up the missing fliers. Billy had asked him not to come back because he didn't want Charlie's sympathy. Bella felt solely responsible for breaking up their friendship.

Bella felt her way back to the couch in the darkness. She would talk to her dad about mending his friendship in the morning. She didn't want him to suffer because of her actions. She hoped that it wasn't too late for Charlie and Billy to mend their friendship.


	2. Completely Alone

**Disclaimer:**

**Seth: Donna, does not own Twilight. I am owned by Stephenie Meyer.**

**Me: You're lucky that I finally let you do a disclaimer.**

**AN: I want to say thank you to all of you who sent in reviews or added this story to your alerts and favorites. I appreciate each and every one of you.**

Bella woke to see her dad watching her from the recliner. Worry was etched across his face as he slowly rocked back and forth.

"Is something wrong?" she asked as she stretched.

"Edward called a little while ago. There's still no sign of Alice. Maybe you should call off the wedding until she comes back."

"The wedding is tomorrow Dad. There are people coming in from out of state. Mom more than likely won't be able to come back if I cancel," she reasoned.

"It was just a thought. You do what you think is right," he said putting his hands on his knees.

The smell of coffee filled her nose and she made her way to the kitchen. Renee sat at the table reading the paper as Bella made herself a cup of coffee.

"Do you know that he keeps the coffee in the same place he did when I lived here?" she joked.

"That doesn't surprise me. The idea of change freaks him out," Bella said with a chuckle.

"You know what I want for breakfast?"

"Stuffed French toast?" Bella asked with an amused look.

"As luck would have it, you have everything to make it," Renee said hopefully.

"Sure," Bella said with a small smile.

"Thank you, Honey," she said patting Bella's arm appreciatively.

The front door opened and Quil stuck his head around the corner.

"Perfect timing; food is mentioned and Quil shows up. Where's your partner in crime?" Charlie asked.

"He's doing some work around his house today. Sue gave him a list of things that need to be fixed this morning."

Renee introduced herself to Quil and immediately engulfed him in a hug.

"Any friend of Bella's is a friend of mine. I just hope that I get to meet Jacob someday. I owe him my life for being there for her when she didn't have anyone else," she said.

"I'm sure he would love to meet you," Quil said with a small smile.

"I suggest you start breakfast Bells, you have to be at the Cullen's to go over everything in an hour. I should have told you that when I told you that Edward called," Charlie said with an impish smile.

After breakfast Bella went to change and was back downstairs when someone opened the door. Quil came in lifting Billy's chair over the threshold. Bella avoided eye contact with him as she slipped on her shoes. Renee gushed at the sight of Billy and he smiled warmly when she hugged him.

"I didn't expect to see you while I was here," she gushed.

"I couldn't stay away. It's good to see you Ree Ree," he said with an easy smile.

"Only you could get away with calling me that. You look good," she complimented.

"You too," he said with a grin.

"Bella, do you want me to go with you? I can help with the last minute preparations," Renee offered.

"No Mom, you stay and catch up with Billy," she said before walking around Billy and Quil.

Bella gripped the steering wheel while her heart rate went back to normal. She was glad that Billy had been the one to reach out. She knew why he had done it, and she was grateful. He didn't want Charlie to be alone. She would talk to him when she got home.

At the Cullen's Esme's was the only car there. She opened the front door as Bella walked through the yard.

"I was hoping to meet your mother," she said with a smile.

"Billy showed up just as I was leaving. They're catching up."

Bella followed Esme into the kitchen which was eerily clean. Usually there was a bowl of fruit at each end of the counter and Carlisle's work which was usually scattered across the table was absent.

"Have a seat Bella," Esme said.

Bella immediately knew something was wrong. Edward was supposed to be helping her today.

"Where is Edward?" she questioned.

"He is helping Jasper look for Alice," Esme said as she wrote something in Alice's wedding folder.

"You're taking over?" she asked slowly.

"Just in case no one is able to find her, you have nothing to worry about. I need you to look over the menu. I still need a few things from the store before I can start cooking."

"I can help with that," she offered.

"Nonsense, this is for you. I will not hear another word about you helping," Esme admonished.

Bella looked over the list of food that Esme was planning on fixing. It was enough food to feed an army.

"What if Alice isn't found? I'll need to find a new MOH."

"Why not ask your mother? She would be the most logical choice." Esme reminded her as Bella continued to look over the list.

"I'll talk to her."

"You should head home. Spend time with your parents. It will be the last time you see them for a while," Esme said giving her a concerned look.

Bella nodded as she handed the list back to Esme. She stood from the table and was back in her car less than fifteen minutes after she had gotten there.

Billy, Charlie and Renee were in the living room while Quil cleaned the kitchen. She grabbed a towel from the drawer and started drying and putting away the dishes. They worked silently until Charlie came in.

"I didn't hear you come in. You weren't gone very long."

"I wanted to spend time with you and Mom. I won't be able to see you that much once I'm married," she reminded him.

"I guess I can understand that," he reasoned.

"Bella, could you come in here?" Billy asked.

Bella prepared herself for the worst as she walked into the living room. There was a wrapped package on the coffee table.

"I won't be able to make it tomorrow but I wanted to give you something," he explained.

"You didn't have to," she said politely.

"I wanted to," he said with a kind smile.

"Go ahead and open it Bella," Renee said handing the small, lightweight box to her.

Inside the box was a small square of fabric from what she knew was one of Jacob's flannel shirts.

"It's tradition for the bride carry something that has a tie to someone that they wish was there," he stated.

"Thank you Billy, this is really nice," she said, touched that he had thought to do something this nice.

"I can sow it into your dress tomorrow," Renee said.

"You're welcome Bella. I know that Jacob would want you to be happy," Billy said with a sad smile.

Bella nodded as she clutched the swatch of fabric in her hand. She smiled before walking out of the room. She was able to hold the tears that were threatening to come until she got to her room. She flung herself onto the bed as quiet sobs racked through her. She looked down at the square of Jacob's shirt with sadness. She wished that things could be different. She didn't want to be in love with two of the most amazing people she had ever met. She wished that she could go back in time and make a decision and stick with it.

XXXX

Bella woke to the sun shining in her eyes. She smiled as she sighed wistfully. Today was the start of the rest of her life. She threw her legs over the side of the couch, not hearing anyone else up.

She heard a car out front as she made coffee. She looked out the window next to the table and didn't see anyone. Maybe she had been imagining things.

She went outside to grab the paper when she saw an envelope taped to the front door. Her name was scrawled across the front in Edward's perfect handwriting. She smiled to herself as she pulled it down.

She took the letter and her coffee into the living room and settled down on the couch before opening the letter.

_Beautiful, Wonderful, Bella,_

_I write this letter with a heavy heart. I imagine that you are wondering what is going on and I promise that I can explain my behavior from the last few weeks. First off, I want nothing more than to be your husband and spend all of eternity with you. I know now that it was not meant to happen._

_You may not realize it, but your feelings for Jacob are stronger than you think. You have been talking about him in your sleep a lot as of late. Your true feelings for him come out then. You love him the way that I love you. I was hoping that it would pass as our wedding date neared. It got so bad that you openly wept for him in your sleep. I can only take so much before I reach a breaking point. I know that you and I will never share the bond that you share with Jacob. I am not naïve nor am I stupid._

_I don't want you to feel guilty because of what has happened. I held onto you for far too long. I should have given Jacob his chance at happiness and you would have eventually seen that the two of you were meant to be together. Imprint or not Bella my love, you are his soul mate and he is yours. Maybe things would have been different if my family hadn't come back._

_My family was contemplating leaving before you moved to Forks. I was able to talk to them out of it and I do not regret all of the pleading, groveling, and arguments that ensued. If I had backed down I wouldn't know what it was like to love someone; even if for a short amount of time, you will always be the greatest thing that ever happened to me._

_I want you to know that I hold no animosity towards Jacob, nor am I jealous of him. I know that you think that Jacob is the one who told me about what happened in my absence. I should have set the record straight long before now but it was Sam who showed me everything. He was able to show me everything from the beginning because he would follow the two of you around. I should have realized Jacob's feelings for you then but I never imagined that he would fight as hard as he did. He will be back, and he when does, you will be ready to start over with him._

_I was selfish and arrogant and I apologize for not letting you go sooner. I thought that you would take to heart that I had risked so much for you and you would want to be with me because of all that I had sacrificed. Jacob has sacrificed so much and yet given you all of the things that I couldn't._

_I can't even call you mine now. You have belonged to Jacob since he reached out to you when I left. Be happy my love, and love with your whole heart. Do not let Jacob take you for granted the way that I have._

_I have let everyone know that the wedding has been called off so that you don't need to worry about that._

_Edward_

Bella folded the letter slowly. She smoothed the creases meticulously before putting the paper back into the envelope. Someone walked down the stairs as she tried to control her breathing. Renee leaned against the door frame; watching Bella in concern. Bella still held the letter in both hands.

"Bella?" she said to get Bella's attention.

"Hmm?" Bella asked absentmindedly.

"Shouldn't you head over to the Cullen's? The wedding is in less than four hours," she reminded her.

"There isn't going to be a wedding," Bella said quietly.

"What?" Renee asked as she crossed the room to sit next to her.

Bella held up the envelope and Renee pulled her into her arms.

"Honey, it's for the best. You would have felt so much guilt if you had gone through with it," Renee said soothingly.

"I thought that it was what I wanted," Bella said quietly.

"I know. Think of it this way, you can move on without a guilty conscience," Renee reminded her.

"I can't move on if Jake isn't here."

"It's good that he isn't. You need time to process everything. It seems that Edward had some regrets of his own," she said in concern.

Bella nodded, not knowing what else to say. Renee held her tightly. Bella rested her head against Renee's chest as she rubbed her back soothingly. Charlie came into the room making as little noise as possible. His eyes met Renee's over Bella's shoulder. She mouthed that the wedding had been called off and he nodded in recognition.

Charlie moved to sit on Bella's other side and placed a hand on her shoulder. The three of them stayed that way for hours.

It was nightfall when someone came knocking on the door. Bella looked over at Charlie who gave her a skeptical look. She nodded and then he rose to answer the door. Billy could be heard outside asking if Charlie had a few minutes.

"Now isn't a good time Billy," Charlie said solemnly.

"Is something wrong?" Billy asked in concern.

"Bella and Edward didn't get married. He got tired of trying to measure up to Bella's high standards," he said sarcastically.

"Ha, ha," Bella retorted.

"Is she alright?" Billy questioned.

"She's fine. She's trying to stay positive. She's talking about returning the gifts already."

"You can keep mine Bells. Jacob would want you to have it," Billy called.

"Who's that in the truck? I can't see them," Charlie questioned.

"A friend of Jacob and Bella's, I asked him to stay in the truck."

"I'll help you back then," Charlie offered before shutting the door.

Bella stood at the front window and was able to see who was in the truck when the cab light turned on. It was Jared. She pushed away from the window before he saw her. She went upstairs to get in the shower, feeling like she had a thick layer of dirt on her skin.

Underneath the scalding spray Bella felt her tense muscles relax. Her hands rested against the shower wall as she took several deep breaths. She wanted to forget this God awful day. She'd had no idea that Edward had felt the way he did. She wracked her brain trying to remember if she had talked to him about the Jacob situation. The startling revelation was no. She had never once apologized for what she had put him through.

She had spent so much time apologizing to Jacob that she hadn't thought of Edward's feelings. She shook her head with a sigh as she turned off the water. She quickly wrapped a towel around herself and headed to her room. She flicked on her light and she gasped louder than she ever had before. Alice sat on her bed, watching her with sorrow and remorse.

"You okay Bells?" Charlie asked from downstairs.

"Yeah, I just saw a huge spider," she called.

"Do you want me to get it?"

"No, it's gone."

"I am so sorry," Alice said quietly.

"You saw what was going to happen, didn't you?" she asked in distress.

"Yes. I argued with him for over a week about it. I pleaded with him to tell you," Alice said with remorse.

"Is he at home?"

"Yes. He's packing his things. He's leaving for Dartmuth in a few days," she explained.

"Can you give him these back?" she said taking off her engagement ring then slipping it and her car keys into Alice's cool palm.

"He still wants you to have the car he bought for you," she explained.

"I can't keep it."

"It would mean so much to him," Alice reasoned.

"Alright," Bella said with a sigh.

"I want us to stay friends."

"I want that too," Bella agreed.

"He says that he's going to go out on his own."

"He's severing ties with you because of me?" she asked in shock.

"He's been contemplating it for a while," she said shaking her head in disagreement.

"He was waiting for me to change," she whispered as the knowledge sunk in.

"Yes," Alice agreed quietly.

"Will you let him know that I am sorry? For everything," she asked.

"I will. I'll bring the car in the morning. It's good to know that you're taking this well," Alice said with a small smile.

"I don't really have a choice," she said with a sigh.

"Jacob will come back. I've been tracking your future. I can't see much," Alice said with a feeble smile.

"That's reassuring, thank you," she said with a small smile.

Alice nodded before standing. She pulled Bella to her in a bone crushing hug. Bella patted Alice's arm awkwardly before feeling a wash of calm.

"Where is Jasper?"

"He's in the car."

"Thank God he can't see me like this. Alice, you are making me uncomfortable…and cold," she complained.

"Oops, I forgot that you were wet and naked," she said with an impish grin.

"I'll call you soon."

Alice climbed through the window seconds later and Bella shut it behind her. She looked out the window once she had gotten dressed. She saw someone pass beneath the street lamp at the end of the street making her squint to see who it was. It looked like Embry. The person looked in her direction, feeling her watching them.

The person turned and walked away and she turned from the window. She got into bed, suddenly tired. She felt all of the stress from the day melt away as she sank deeper under the blankets. She was asleep within minutes.


	3. Not as Good as the Real Thing

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

Bella was running late when she pulled into the driveway. She hadn't planned on being ambushed by Jessica at the store and she just had to talk to her about what had happened with Edward. She had been patient for the first fifteen minutes before trying unsuccessfully to leave for another ten minutes. Her dad had called her asking where she was after almost an hour of Jessica's yammering.

Charlie came out of the house to help he carry the groceries in, casting a longing glance at the silver '65 Aston Martin convertible parked in the driveway. Edward had taken her love of vintage cars to heart when he had bought it.

"What did you mean when you said you got caught up at the store?" he questioned.

"A friend from school wanted to talk about Edward," she said with a helpless shrug.

"He's been gone for almost a month Bells. People are bound to talk," he reasoned.

"I don't mind talking about him Dad. Jessica did most of the talking...for nearly an hour," she deadpanned.

"Jessica Stanley? She always has been a talker. I came in for career day when she was a freshman and I remember her and the girl next to her passing notes back and forth the whole time I was talking," he remembered.

"That sounds like her. I love her to death, but she doesn't know when to let up," she agreed.

Charlie started unloading the groceries while Bella went to get the last few bags. She felt someone watching her making her look to the woods across the street. She shrugged it off when she didn't see anyone and went back inside.

Charlie left for work an hour later and Bella was reading a book when someone knocked on the front door. She set the book on the coffee table before crossing to the door. She gave the person a surprised look as they sighed.

"I'm breaking about five commands being here, can I come in before someone sees me?" They asked sternly.

"So it was you underneath the lamp light?" she asked as she let Embry in.

"Yes. I wanted to see for myself that you were still you," he explained.

"I'm still me, beating heart and all," she confirmed.

"I also wanted to apologize," he said sounding heartfelt.

"For what?" she asked in confusion.

"Quil may act like he's okay not talking to Jake but it's eating him up inside. I have more to lose by choosing to defy Sam than Quil does," Embry said logically.

"How so?" she asked.

"Quil has already imprinted, it's not like Sam can hold that over his head," he pointed out.

"I never asked Quil or Seth to look after me," she said in defense.

"I know you didn't, but trust me; if I had imprinted already Quil and I would have both looked after you," he said pointedly.

"What is going on with Jake?" she asked with pleading eyes.

"You don't need to worry about him. He's fine Bells," he reassured her.

"But I'm not," she said sadly.

"I know, neither am I; but he's stubborn," he reminded her.

"What is keeping him from coming home? Be honest with me," she pleaded.

"He doesn't want to think of what could have been. That's why we aren't allowed to see you or talk to you. Sam thinks we'll slip and tell him about you," he explained.

"But he's doing okay?" she asked slowly.

"As okay as he can be. I came by to make sure for myself that you don't hate me," he said in trepidation.

"I could never hate you. You were the first of the pack to accept me," she reasoned.

"That's because I knew you before I joined," he reminded her.

"Not well enough to know that I could be trusted," she added.

"Jake trusts you. That's enough for me," he said with a shrug.

"Thank you, Embry," she said politely.

Embry saw himself out and Bella was left alone with her thoughts. Did Jacob miss her as much as she missed him? Would he come home in her lifetime, or was he waiting for hell to freeze over? She missed him so much that it hurt. At least she knew that he was alright. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she found out that he was having a hard time.

XXXX

Bella woke from a dream to find her window open. The last few moments of her dream ran through her head as she tried to remember if she had left the window open.

In her dream Jacob had come home and they had started their life together. She was older in her dream, and she was chasing two children through Billy's front yard. They were the children from her vision on the mountain.

She ran a hand through her hair as she threw her legs over the side of the bed. She crossed the room, feeling a chill in the air. She shut the window before turning back to the bed.

"I'll shut it back before I leave," A voice said in the darkness.

"Edward," she gasped.

Her lamp light flickered on a few seconds later. He was standing by her bed, giving her a tight lipped smile.

"I was in town. I wanted to see how you were doing. Where are Quil and Seth?" he asked tensely.

"I haven't seen Quil since you left and Seth is grounded," she explained.

"I should go; I didn't expect you to wake up," he said walking towards the window.

"Don't go," she said putting a hand on his arm.

"You don't hate me?" he questioned cautiously.

"Why does everyone think that? First Quil stops coming over because he feels guilty for driving you away, and then Embry thinks I'm mad at him because he chose Jake over me. If anything; you should hate me," she pointed out with an aggravated sigh.

"I could never hate you Bella. I understand why you tried to keep your feelings for Jacob a secret. If you hadn't, he would still be here," he said with a sad smile.

"I know," she said quietly.

"It's good to know that you're okay," he said pulling her to him.

He kissed her forehead before slowly pulling away. He was out the window before she got back into bed. She was glad that she'd had the chance to talk to Edward if only for a few minutes. She drifted back to sleep almost instantly.

Her dream picked up where it left off. She was so happy and Jacob hadn't changed. He was loyal, he was strong and he was her everything. She would make him see that when she saw him again.

XXXX

Bella felt something was wrong as soon as she pulled up. No one had said that she couldn't come to La Push, but she stayed away out of respect for the pack. There was no way that she and Quil could work out their problems if they didn't talk through them.

She knocked on the door lightly hoping that Quil was home. The door opened and she was not prepared to see the person on the other side. Sam stared down at her with cautious eyes.

"I was looking for Quil, if this is a bad time I can come back," she said turning to walk down the stairs.

"Hold on, Bella," Sam's calm, deep voice called out to her.

"I should have called first. I'm sorry," she apologized hurriedly.

"It is fine," he reassured her.

"I haven't heard from him in a while. I wanted to talk to him about what happened," she explained.

"He's very sorry for causing so much trouble," Sam said gravely.

"He shouldn't be; he did what I was scared to do. Can you let him know that I was never mad at him?" she asked.

"I'll pass along the message," Sam said with a kind smile.

"Can I go now?" she asked unsure of where she stood with him.

"I want to talk to you."

"If it's about Jake than I'd rather not. If he isn't allowed to know anything about me, than show me the same courtesy," she said in disagreement.

"He has a lot to deal with right now and you are at the top of the list. He finally stopped asking about you last week. He got tired of us not giving him any information," he explained.

"I imagine he's pretty angry about that," she said with a sigh.

"More angry than I've ever heard him. Billy has talked to him into taking over as Alpha once he comes back," Sam explained.

"He told me that he would rather burn in hell than take over as Alpha," she said pointedly.

"Billy helped him to see that it would be the right thing to do."

"Even though he doesn't want it?" she asked harshly.

"He may not want it now, that's why he hasn't come back. He says he'll come back when he's ready. No one is forcing him into anything," he said calmly.

"They'd better not; because if they do they'll have to deal with me," she threatened, folding her arms over her chest.

"I have no doubt about that. You've proved to the pack that you can take care of yourself," he said as a smile tugged at his lips.

"It's too bad that no one else sees it," she said rolling her eyes.

"I should go. Quil is in his room. You can let yourself in," Sam said before walking past her.

Bella walked down the hall silently to the closed door at the end of the hall. She pushed it open to see Quil sitting on his bed.

"I know you heard my conversation with Sam so that saves me from repeating myself."

"I guess it does," he said seriously.

"I know you feel guilty for choosing me over Jake," she admitted.

"Who told you?" he asked, his eyebrows knitting in confusion.

"That doesn't matter. What does matter is that I never asked you to look after me," she pointed out.

"I'm just doing it until Jake gets back. I don't want to think about the outcome if no one had stepped up," he said with a nonchalant shrug.

"But it's keeping you from talking to Jake. You shouldn't have done it," she reasoned.

"I wanted to. You deserve to have someone to lean on and talk to when you need them," he pointed out.

"You are a good person. Don't ever forget that," she said crossing the room.

"Who told you that I had something to do with Edward leaving?" he asked curiously.

"I have my sources. What exactly did you do?" she asked.

"I pretty much told him that if he didn't do what was right I would make him regret it. I reminded him that I knew how to kill him if he hurt you. I did everything I could to threaten him. Then I showed him some of Jacob's private thoughts, just guy talk about you mostly; he probably told you since he tells you everything," he said with a shrug.

She sat next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. She placed her head on his shoulder and he placed his on top of hers. Silence fell between them as they thought about what was going on. They both missed Jacob and wanted him to come home for their own reasons. Quil wasn't about to tell her his reason for wanting Jacob to come home, it would only make her miss him more.

XXXX

With the newspaper spread out in front of her and a red pen between her teeth, Bella searched through the Help Wanted section of the paper. There had been a few prospects, but she planned to go online later to broaden her search.

She read a description for a job opening for an antiques dealer in Port Angeles and she circled it thinking that it could be promising.

The front door opened and she heard her dad and Billy in the living room seconds later. She closed the paper before going to the refrigerator to pull out dinner. They were having leftover chili, so it wouldn't take long to heat. She pulled the cornbread from the night before out of the bread bin once she had put the chili on the stove.

She sat on the couch while the guys watched football. At the commercial break Billy turned towards her.

"I heard that you went to see Quil today."

"I was worried about him," she explained.

"How is he? I haven't seen him in a while," Charlie said, not looking away from the game that had come back on.

"He's fine, he'll be here for dinner," Bella said.

"I'm glad that the two of you were able to work things out," Billy said.

Bella's eyes met his and he gave her a warm smile that reached his eyes. It had been a long time since anyone had smiled at her like that and she appreciated it. She returned the smile with a sigh, wishing for the thousandth time that things could be different.

Quil let himself in while everyone was eating dinner. He made himself a bowl of chili then sat across from Bella at the kitchen table. Charlie and Billy could be heard rooting for the Seahawks while Bella and Quil ate quietly.

The silence continued as Quil helped Bella clean the kitchen. Billy's phone rang and he wheeled himself into the kitchen before answering it.

"Hey Son," he said quietly.

Bella stilled as Billy listened to Jacob talk.

"Things are pretty quiet here. It's good to hear from you," Billy said a little louder.

Quil dried the dishes in the drainer and put them away while Bella put the leftovers in the refrigerator.

"I'm at Charlie's."

"Who's that Billy?" Charlie called.

"It's Bec," Billy answered.

Bella draped the drying towel over the oven handle before walking out of the room. She was in her room when Quil came in a few minutes later.

"Billy says that Jake's in Hawaii with Bec," he said as he straddled her computer chair.

She nodded, looking down at her hands. At least he was safe and he wasn't alone. Jacob and Rebecca had a special bond from what Billy and Quil had told her. She was glad that he still called his dad to check in to let him know that he was okay.

"Your dad called for me while Billy was talking to him and Jake freaked. I could hear him asking to talk to me," he explained quickly.

"You got a chance to talk to him?" she asked sullenly.

"Only for a minute, he sounds really good, he's got a lot on his mind but he's working through it," he reassured her.

"Did he ask about me?" she questioned.

"He says he misses you so much that it hurts sometimes. He feels the same way you do," he said with a sad smile.

"You didn't tell him..." she asked quickly.

"That you're still you? No, Billy would have never forgiven me for that," he reassured her.

"Thank you," she said hugging him.

"You're welcome," he said holding her tightly.

They were silent for the next few minutes until he pulled away enough to look down at her.

"Think of it this way, you're not suffering alone," he said with a sad smile.

She was so wrapped up in her problems that she hadn't thought of the friendship that Quil and Jacob were missing out on. She hoped that it wasn't completely destroyed before Jacob came home.


	4. Building Herself Up for a Letdown

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

Bella woke from a deep sleep and got the feeling that someone was in the room with her. She reached to her nightstand to turn on her lamp only to see nothing. The window wasn't even open. She ran a hand through her hair with a sigh as she continued to wake up.

Her phone vibrated and she picked it up to see that the text was from her mom.

Happy birthday Baby!

Thanks, Mom.

She shut her phone realizing that the feeling that someone was in the room was her false hope that Jacob would come home just because it was her birthday. She knew that Billy and Rachel had left a few days before to go and see him. That was where the hope had originally stemmed from. She had hoped that they would bring him home.

Charlie could be heard up and walking around. She heard the bathroom door close while she dressed for the day. The shower turned on as she made her way downstairs.

There was a box at her seat at the table. There was an envelope small enough to hold a gift card lying on top of the box. Sure enough, there was a gas card inside from her dad. The box was unmarked and unwrapped. She cut the tape with scissors before digging through the popcorn inside.

She pulled out a cell phone box and a new battery for her computer. Her computer had been acting weird and when she had taken it to get checked the guy was going to charge her three hundred dollars. The battery was less than a hundred and she could save money by having Quil install it for her. She sent a text to her mom, thanking her for the gifts before starting a pot of coffee.

Charlie came down as she was sliding fried eggs onto a plate for him. She handed him the plate and he sat at the table.

"Why did your mom get you two gifts?"

"Only the battery is my birthday gift. The phone was free when Phil signed up for a new contract," she explained.

"What are you going to do with your old one?" he asked curiously.

"I was thinking of giving it to you since yours is outdated," she teased.

"Well, thank you. That saves me from getting g new one," he joked, rising from the table.

"You're welcome, and thank you for the gas card," she said sincerely.

"You're welcome, Honey," he said kissing her temple.

"I was thinking of going to Port Angeles today to apply for a job," she brought up.

"Where at?" he asked.

"At a place called Autumns Antiques. They're an antique dealer," she explained.

"I've heard of them," Charlie said with a nod.

He left for work half an hour later and Bella readied herself to leave for the day. Her cell phone vibrated as soon as she got into the car. She started the car before pulling her phone out of her jacket. Alice had texted her.

Happy birthday!

She smiled as she slid the phone shut. Once on the road she turned her cell phone off. It was a habit that her dad had started, that way she wouldn't be distracted while she was driving.

She got lost twice trying to find the store. She parked in the parking lot off the side of the store. She looked through the wrap around windows as she walked around to the front. The store was small, not a single space was unused.

A small bell dinged over the door once she opened it. The store was void of people, so she walked down the small aisle in the center of the room. There was a sign on one of the columns that said, 'Please do not touch merchandise. Ask sales associate for assistance, thank you.'

A door at the back of the room opened and a tall, skinny girl with reddish blond shoulder length hair and stylish glasses stepped into the room as Bella looked at a gold mantle sized clock on one of the tables.

"It's almost a century old," The girl said.

"It's beautiful," she said admiringly.

"It's also three thousand dollars. It belonged to a former Mayer of Washington," The girl boasted.

"Do you know if the sales rep position has been filled?"

"No, it hasn't. I'll go get Ronnie; she's one you need to talk to. I'm Kourtney by the way," she introduced herself.

"I'm Bella," Bella said with a tight lipped smile.

"I'll be right back. Feel free to look around."

Bella took in the room with its vaulted ceilings and wooden floors. It really was a beautiful space, even if it was a little cramped.

"Can I help you?" A woman asked from the end of the aisle.

"Yes Ma'am, I'm Bella Swan."

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Ronnie Thompson," she said with a warm smile.

Ronnie was about Bella's height with a slightly smaller body frame. Her long brunette hair was pulled back in a loose braid that fell to the middle of her back. Her pale green eyes reminded Bella of cat's eyes.

"I wanted to talk to you about applying for the sales rep position," Bella explained.

"Do you have any experience?" Ronnie asked curiously.

"I worked for Newton's Outfitters in Forks for a year," Bella answered.

"You don't work there now?" she asked in concern.

"I'm in between jobs right now. I left there on good terms with my boss," she said reassuringly.

Ronnie nodded as she considered what Bella had said. She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen.

"Write down the number for Newton's and your phone number. I'll get back with you in a few days," she said handing Bella the paper and pen.

"I don't need to fill out an application?" Bella asked in confusion.

"I do things a little different here Bella. I trust my employees and in turn they do honest, hard work," she explained before taking the pen and paper from Bella.

Bella nodded before turning to leave. She waited until she got into the parking lot to pull her phone out of her pocket. She turned it on as she unlocked the car. A door opened behind her as she opened the door.

"That's a nice car," Someone said.

Bella looked over her shoulder to see Kourtney leaning against the building.

"Thanks," she said shyly.

"Did you buy it yourself?"

"No, it was a present from someone," she said with a shake of her head.

"You should know that Ronnie is on the phone with your former boss. Whatever you said impressed her," she mentioned.

"Even if I don't get the job, I'll still come in. It's a really great store," she praised.

Kourtney nodded as Bella got into the car. Her cell phone vibrated reminding her that she still hadn't checked it. Angela, Jessica, Mike, Eric, and her Aunt had texted her while she was in the store. The last text was from Billy. It was a picture of Jacob with the caption, 'He still loves you'. Her eyes welled up with tears as she stared down at the picture. Jacob stood on the beach wearing a pair of cargo pants rolled up to his his calves and a white button down shirt that was left open to show off his deep tan with the sun setting behind him. She couldn't see his eyes behind his aviator sunglasses but the smile he was giving reached his eyes. His hair had grown out a little and was wind swept over his forehead. She was glad that he wasn't depressed or keeping everything inside like he used to. She had a feeling that he would be home soon.

XXXX

Bella was watching TV when Quil let himself in that afternoon. He could be heard in the kitchen while she searched for something to watch. She settled on a movie that she hadn't seen as Quil came into the room with a soda.

"The Bourne Legacy? You have to be the only person I know who hasn't seen this," he teased.

"Then don't tell me what happens," she stated bluntly.

"You're confusing me with Seth, and I am offended," he scoffed.

"Speaking of Seth, where has he been lately? He can't still be grounded."

"Sue finally gave in and let him try out for football, obviously he made the team," he said rolling his eyes.

"Of course," she said with sarcasm.

"Happy birthday Bells," he said handing her a picture frame turned upside down.

She flipped the frame over then touched the glass as tears formed in her eyes. Jacob's eyes were cast down. He looked forlorn, almost on the verge of tears.

"I got it in the mail the other day. Rebecca's mother in law took it. Look at the date in the bottom right hand corner," he urged.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she did what he asked. The picture was taken on August 13th, the day that she was supposed to get married. Had it really only been a month ago? It seemed longer than that.

"I didn't give to you to upset you," Quil said apologetically.

"Billy sent me a picture of him today. It's completely different than this one," she explained.

"Can I see it?" he asked without thinking twice.

"It's the wallpaper on my phone," she said, gesturing towards her phone.

Quil grabbed her phone from off the coffee table and stared at the picture for at least a minute before setting the phone back on the table.

"He looks good. He's getting some sun and he's putting the weight that he lost back on. Now if only you would do that," he joked, nudging her playfully.

She chuckled, knowing that he was right. She needed to get back out into the world. She would only venture out if she had to. Looking for a job and taking classes at the community college would be a good place to start.

XXXX

Voices drifted out the open sliding door to where he stood leaning against the railing of the deck. He had his phone in his hand, debating on if he should call her. He wouldn't say anything, he just wanted hear her voice; to know that she was alright. Of course she was alright, she had everything she wanted, while he was left alone. Maybe if he hadn't left, or he had tried harder to make her see how much he loved her things would have turned out different.

He didn't want to live in the past, but it was better than missing her. Did vampires celebrate birthdays? What a random thought that was, but it was something that he had been asking himself all day. He honestly was doing better. He was glad that his dad and Rachel were there. He had missed his dad more than he wanted to let on.

So far, Billy hadn't brought up that he wanted him to come home and he hoped that he would refrain from doing it for the whole time he was there. He had started school that week and he didn't want to uproot himself just yet. Now that school had started he didn't think of her as much. Rebecca wanted him to focus on school so that was what he would do.

He heard someone step onto the deck and stop a few feet away from him. He didn't need to turn to face the person to know who it was.

"I'm fine," he said with a frustrated sigh.

"Do you promise?" Rachel asked.

"Yes Rach, I'm not going to slit my wrist just because I miss her," he said his voice filled with acid.

"Maybe you should call her, lay everything out on the table. You'll feel better once you do," she offered.

"I can't. Hearing her voice would start the process all over again," he said solemnly.

"Don't you think that she's hurting too?" she accused.

"No. She made her decision, she married him," he said with a scowl.

"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't miss her best friend," she reminded him.

"That's all I'll ever be," he said, shaking his head slowly.

"Isn't that better than nothing at all?" she reasoned.

She had a point; he hated it when she was right. She took hold of his hand, squeezing it lightly. He needed to tell Bella how he felt about her. He had hoped to hold off until she had made up her mind to be with him, but that obviously wasn't going to happen now. He may not have been the one she chose, but he still wanted to be there for her as her best friend.

"Cat got your tongue?" Rachel asked to break the silence.

"Just thinking," he said shaking his head.

"You're going to contact her?" she asked hopefully.

"Maybe I could write her a letter. That's just as good as calling her, that way I won't lose my nerve and go home," he pointed out.

"I think writing her a letter is a great idea," she said with a small smile.

He nodded wishing that this day would hurry up and end. He didn't like thinking about her so much. It felt like all of the steps that he had taken to get where he was had been for nothing. He was fine with thinking about her at night, but when Bella took over the day too he knew that something had to be done.


	5. Wish You Were Here

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**AN: Aren't you all glad that I finally brought Jacob into the story? Expect him to be a mainstay from now on.**

_Three Months Later_

The house was filled with the smell of ham and pumpkin as Bella went over the list of things that still needed to be done before dinner. The center pieces for the coffee table needed to be put together. She pulled the bag of cranberries out of the pantry. The white pillar candles and glass vases were already in the living room.

She was filling the vases with cranberries when someone knocked on the door. Charlie could be heard coming down the stairs so she decided to let him get it. She was lighting the candles when Billy and Rachel came in.

Billy came in with Rachel following close behind him. Bella had only seen Rachel twice since she had come home from college. She knew that Rachel held a grudge against her because of all the problems that she had caused for Jacob. Billy had probably had to do a lot of coaxing to get her to agree to come.

"Dinner smells great Bells," Billy said with a smile.

"Thanks. It should be ready soon. We're still waiting on Sue, Seth and Leah."

Leah was someone else giving Bella the silent treatment. Bella had tried to reach out to her more times than she could count to no avail.

Bella was in the kitchen twenty minutes later when someone came into the room. She looked over her shoulder to see Rachel standing in the archway of the kitchen.

"Is there anything that I can do to help?" she asked helpfully.

"No thanks. I've got it under control," Bella said with a thankful smile.

"Do want to know what kills me most about your and Jacob's situation?" she asked.

"That I broke his heart repeatedly?" Bella asked in a frustrated tone.

"That's stating the obvious. What kills me is that if you had just let go of the leech when Jacob asked you to, he would be here now," she pointed out harshly.

"What?" Bella asked with a scoff.

"Can we talk upstairs?" she asked quietly.

Bella led the way and Rachel closed the door quietly behind her.

"There are things that Jacob wasn't allowed to tell you; since I'm not a member of the pack there isn't anything that Sam can do to me, and I ask that you not tell my dad," Rachel warned.

"Okay," Bella agreed cautiously.

"If a wolf meets their imprint but they are with someone else the wolf cannot imprint on them. If at any given time that relationship ends the wolf can then imprint on the person," she explained.

"So there is still a chance that I could be Jacob's imprint?" Bella asked in recognition.

"That's what my dad is hoping. It's the main reason he wants Jacob to wait until he feels he is ready to come home. He doesn't want to force him before he's ready. If you can tell me that you are completely and totally over Edward I'll be nice to you from now on," she promised.

"I'm over him. I'd say that I slowly started pulling away from him after Jacob left. You don't know what you have until it's gone," she said with a sad smile.

Rachel nodded, with a look of concern etched across her face. Charlie called Bella's name from the hall and Rachel opened the door and Charlie moved to let her pass.

"The oven timer went off. Sue got the ham out and put the rolls in," he explained.

"I'll be right down," she said wiping her eyes quickly.

"What's wrong?" he asked cautiously.

"I'm fine. I just need a few minutes," she sniffled.

"Baby, we're all feeling Jake's absence right now, I know it's hard for you," he said soothingly.

"I'll be down soon," she said reassuringly.

"Take all the time you need," he said pulling her to him.

She let herself fall against him. She sniffled, feeling tears wet his shirt. Charlie had been reluctant to bring up Jacob since Edward left. He wasn't deaf or blind. He knew Jacob had something to do with Bella pulling away from Edward. He hoped that the two of them got a chance at happiness one day.

XXXX

Charlie, Seth and Billy were cleaning the kitchen while Bella sat in the living room with Sue, Leah and Rachel. Leah was giving her the silent treatment while Rachel was civil with her. Sue was being the peace maker as always. Bella had been surprised when Charlie had told her that he was dating Sue that fall. She had thought that Billy had eyes for her. She still thought that sometimes when she would catch him watching her. Sue made Charlie happy, that was all Bella cared about.

The guys came in and Charlie sat in between Bella and Sue. He draped an arm over each of their shoulders, pulling them to him.

"How about we pass out presents now?" he suggested.

"Sure," Bella said, pulling away from him.

"Don't get up Bells. I can hand them out," Seth said, already looking underneath the tree.

Charlie was thankful for his new wallet from Billy and Rachel and he wanted to watch history of the Seattle Seahawks DVD that Sue and the kids had gotten him as soon as he opened it. Bella waited for everyone else to open there's before opening hers. She thanked Billy and Rachel for the scarf they had gotten her and she immediately put on the charm bracelet from Sue.

Everyone was leaving when Billy slipped an envelope into her hand. He patted her hand lightly before Seth pushed him out the door.

"Merry Christmas you guys," she called.

"Merry Christmas," everyone except Leah called back.

She shut the door once everyone had pulled out of the driveway. Charlie was pouring himself a glass of eggnog when she came into the kitchen to tell him goodnight. She slipped the envelope into her pocket before her dad saw it.

"'Night Dad," she said from the entryway.

"'Night Bells," he said over his shoulder as he washed out his glass.

She pulled out the envelope as soon as she had closed her door behind her. She looked down at it with wide eyes. Her name was scrawled across it in Jacob's hastily written script.

_Bella,_

_Words cannot express how much I miss you. I think of you every day. It doesn't hurt like it used to, I guess I'm getting used to the pain. Now I know how you felt when Edward left. A piece of me is missing and I don't know if I'll ever get it back. I know that I could have stayed and worked things out with you but I couldn't take the idea of you being happy with someone else._

_I've matured a lot since I left. I'm doing alright in school and I have a few friends. My dad said that I was starting act like my old self when he came to see me. He promised me that he wouldn't read this and I hope he kept his promise. This letter is my private thoughts just for you to read._

_When I come back I want us to be friends. Vampire or not, I cannot live without you. It took me a long time to admit that. I am willing to be friends with a leech if you are willing to be friends with a smelly dog. I cannot picture my life without you in it. You are the only person who can make me whole. If being your friend is all that I can have than I will take it. I will always love you, and no one will ever take your place._

_I want you to know that I am not mad at you for choosing Edward. You want what you want and I can't condone you for doing what you felt was right. I promise that I will be nice to him, even if he isn't nice to me. I will take whatever he dishes out because I know how much it hurts you to see us fight. I can't stand to put you through that again._

_You're in my dreams every night Bells. I can still hear your voice in my head like your standing right in front of me. Do you think of me at all? Do you miss me? I don't expect you to write me back so I guess I'll find out when I get back._

_No one knows me or understands me the way that you do. You may not be my imprint, but you are my soul mate. I don't want you to feel sorry for me either. If I can't have you, then I don't want anyone else. If I imprint, I will fight it until the day that I die. You can fight me all that you want about it, but you will not be able to change my mind._

_I love you so much that it feels like my heart will burst open sometimes. Just when I think that I can't love you any more than I already do, I remember why I fell in love with you in the first place. I fell in love with you because there is no one else that I can tell my secrets to, I can be myself with you. You don't pass judgment on me and you aren't afraid to put me in my place. You've never lied to me and I promise to never lie to you. You have no idea how beautiful you are, I hope Edward tells you that the way that I used to._

_I am not telling you these things to upset you. I had to get them off of my chest because they were weighing down on me like an elephant. I wish that I had told you these things sooner, maybe we would be together. I can't go back in time, so I am making things right now._

_Jacob_

Bella clutched the letter to her chest as tears rolled down her cheeks. Silent sobs racked through her as she tried to process what she had just read. He still loved her with the same intensity that she had come to know. He had never told her why he loved her; now that he had she couldn't believe that she hadn't realized how perfect they were for each other sooner.

XXXX

The bed shook, jolting Jacob awake. He felt movement at his side, making him open his eyes. His niece lay next to him, one of her tiny arms draped over his stomach. He ran a hand through her curls with a sigh.

The sun wasn't even up yet, and yet he could hear people moving around the small house. His door opened again and light filtered in from the hall, making him shield his eyes.

"Abigail, Isaiah, I asked you to leave him alone," Rebecca said sternly.

"Aww Mom, I didn't want him to know that I was in here," Isaiah whined as he came into view at the foot of the bed.

"They're fine," Jacob interjected.

"I'm making breakfast if you're hungry," Rebecca said in greeting.

"He's always hungry Momma," Abigail said with a giggle.

"Go," he said to his sister.

"Mele Kalikimaka, Unk Jake," Isaiah said climbing onto the bed.

"Mele Kalikimaka, Buddy."

Isaiah curled up on Jacob's other side and Jacob draped an arm over his shoulders. His mind drifted as it usually did when he first woke up to a thousand miles away.

Bella's voice filled his head, her laughter bringing back an easier time. Was she thinking of him? Did she miss him? Was she happy with the decision she had made, or did she regret it?

He had tried to contact her once, just after her birthday. Her dad had answered the phone and he had hung up; immediately regretting it. His moment of weakness had led to the letter that he had mailed to his dad to give to her. He had meant every word that he had written, he couldn't live without her. The last five months had proved that.

The sad part was that he didn't even feel guilty for feeling the way he did. He didn't see it as being in love with a married woman who happened to be a vampire. He was in love with his best friend; she would always be just Bella to him.

He was brought back to reality when a hand smacked him in the face. He looked at Abigail accusingly. She pointed to her older brother whose eyes widened in shock.

"I meant to hit her; she moved her hand before I could stop," Isaiah said quickly.

"You had that look again," Abigail said.

"What look?" Jacob asked.

"Mom says you think about someone when you look like that," Isaiah answered.

He sighed, glad that Rebecca hadn't told them the whole story. He would never be able to explain how he felt to them. The door opened again and both children lifted their heads at the same time.

"Luna!" Abigail said excitedly.

"You two go help your mom," Their grandmother said from the door.

Ina Suno watched Jacob from the door after the children left the room. She thought of Jacob as one of her grandchildren. She worried about him just as much as she did Abigail and Isaiah. She would miss him when went back to Washington, but she knew that he would be happy, that was what mattered.

"Do you need something, Luna?" he questioned.

"No. I was just wishing that you would change your mind and call that girl you miss so much," she said honestly.

"I'm not ready. When I am, that's when I'll go home," he disagreed.

"I don't want to push you. You've grown so much since you showed up here out of the blue," she praised.

"I bet you didn't plan on getting attached to me, did you?" he asked giving her a teasing smile.

"Honey, if I were younger; and I didn't think of you as one of my grandbabies I would make you forget her," she said with confidence.

"That would never happen," he said with a laugh.

"It's something to think about," she sassed.

Ina walked away when Jacob didn't respond. She knew when to leave him alone. Rebecca's in-laws had welcomed Jacob from the moment he had shown up unannounced on Rebecca and Syrus' doorstep. He had made friends here that he would keep in touch with long after he had left.

When he had first arrived on the island he worried that he would imprint on some poor, innocent island girl. He was beginning to wonder if he would ever imprint. Maybe he would be the first Alpha to never imprint. He didn't want someone else taking his attention away from Bella. He would just feel guilty for denying his imprint and his legacy.

He prayed every night that Bella would be his imprint. He prayed that somehow, some way she had decided against marrying Edward or maybe Edward had grown a conscience and had done the right thing. The outcome of seeing Bella after not seeing her for so long kept him up at night. He had gone through so many different scenarios that he honestly thought that they might happen.

Rebecca knocked on his door to get his attention a little while later.

"Breakfast is ready."

"I'll be right there," he answered.

"I was thinking; after breakfast, maybe you should call Dad. You haven't talked to him in a few weeks. He's been asking about you," she reminded him.

"Okay," he said as he got out of bed.

He knew that she was right; he hadn't kept in contact with his dad the way he had promised he would. Every time he talked to his dad he asked him when he was coming home. He didn't lay a guilt trip on him, but he did try to persuade him to come home.

In the kitchen Jacob sat in his usual spot in between Abigail and Isaiah. He ate silently while the kids talked about what they had gotten in their stockings. He listened half halfheartedly, nodding and commenting only when necessary. He thought back to last Christmas when Bella was closed off from the world. Nothing he tried had gotten through to her.

He'd had the most amazing six months with her before Edward had come back. He wouldn't change a single thing. All of the fighting that they had done had let him know how much she cared for him. She had told him once that Edward never argued with her. She did all of the fighting while he gave her whatever she wanted ninety percent of the time. Who wanted a one sided relationship like that? He had a hard time imagining her being happy with the situation.

He could give her what she needed. He knew how much she wanted to be a mother. Even if she acted like she didn't, she craved social interaction. That wouldn't happen now and as much as he tried, in the end he hadn't been able to stop it. He didn't feel like everything he had done was for nothing. All of the foolish things he had done, every sacrifice he had made had been worth it. It was crazy what being in love with someone could make a person do.

Rebecca and Ina cleaned up after breakfast while Syrus and his dad took the kids to the beach until it was time to open presents. Jacob sat in the living room, his phone in hand, debating if he should call his dad. He shook his head with a sigh before opening the phone. He dialed quickly then put the phone to his ear before he could lose his nerve.

"Jake?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, it's me," he confirmed.

"Thank God, I was just about to call you," she said with a sigh.

"What's going on?" he asked quickly.

"Dad's sick. He asked Bec not to tell you because he knows not to lay a guilt trip on you. He's getting worse," she said in a small voice.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked in a pained voice.

"His kidneys are failing. He found out in October and he's on an organ donors list. I should have taken him to the hospital the other night like Charlie and Sue told me to, but Dad told me that he was fine. Now he won't wake up," she said with a cracked voice.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," he promised.

He hung up and then stalked into the kitchen.

"You knew something was wrong with Dad, and you didn't tell me?" he accused his sister.

"I'll go and get the kids. You two need to talk," Ina said, wiping her hands on a towel.

Jacob waited until she had left the house before glaring at his sister.

"You can't answer me?" he asked bitterly.

"He told you?" she asked quietly.

"No, Rachel told me. He's in a coma Bec!" he seethed.

"Since when?" she asked, her face a mix of pain and shame.

"It happened in the middle of the night last night. I'm going home," he announced.

Rebecca followed him to his room; watching as he threw everything he owned into the lone bag he had brought with him. The crunching of glass made him growl impatiently. She crossed the room to take the picture from him. It was of him and Bella taken not long after the Cullen's and wolves had defeated the vampires. She was smiling brightly at the camera and he looked like Rocky Balboa after fighting the Russian guy from Rocky Four. Bruises, being in a full body cast on one side and having his head wrapped in gauze aside, he looked happy.

"So this is her?" she mused.

"That's Bella," he said proudly.

"The name suits her, she really is beautiful," she said with a smile.

"I know," he breathed.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked in concern.

"I won't go to see her until I'm ready. I promise," he said with a nod.

"That's all I ask."

He shouldered his bag then walked out of the room.

"What if you can't get a flight today?" she asked with worry.

"Then I'll sleep at the airport until I can. I'll call you and let you know either way," he promised.

"Wait. Take your presents with you," she said, walking into the living room.

She came back with her arms loaded down with presents. She grabbed a suitcase from the hall closet, stuffing the presents in quickly.

"I'll come up this weekend," she promised.

"I'll let everybody know," he said with a nod.

"I love you Little Brother," she said pulling him to her.

"I love you too," he said hugging her tightly.

When he got outside five minutes later Syrus was in the car waiting to take him to the airport. He had never been gladder that his brother in law was the silent type than he was right then. He had wanted a little more time away from the pack, but there was nothing that he could do about it now. He just wished that he could have told Rebecca the truth. His dad had been against that from the beginning. So he'd had to hold all of his issues with the pack inside. Once he saw Sam, there would be nothing to hold him back. He had five months of pent up anger to get out. It had been eating at him and festering the whole time he was away. He felt like a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any second. It wouldn't be much longer; he could hold it in for a few more hours.

XXXX

After three months of working Autumns Antiques Bella was starting to feel at home. Ronnie had let her and Kourtney decorate the store for the holidays as long as the decorations were taken down the day after Christmas. The store was due for a makeover so Bella would rearrange things to make it easier to navigate the store while she was at it. Ronnie gave her the okay when Bella said that she would do it herself and pay for the supplies she would need with her own money.

She was putting the Christmas decorations in the back of the store when someone came in. Their back was turned to her as she made her way towards them. The way the person stood and the broadness of their shoulders made her think of Jacob. Their hair was even the same raven black shade as his, even it was a few inches longer.

Her pulse quickened as she turned down the row the person was on. The man still had his back to her as he looked through a book that Bella had had her eye on since it came in two weeks before. The book was a signed limited edition copy of Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman.

"Can I help you?" she asked, finally finding her voice.

The man sat the book down before turning towards her and everything finally clicked. It was Sam; he had let his hair grow out since she had seen him in September.

"Your dad forgot your gift when he came over the other day. Emily wanted to make sure that you got it. She was hoping to see you," he explained.

Bella knew that Charlie had kept in contact with Sam after meeting him last fall; she just didn't know how often they saw each other.

"I didn't think that you would want me there," she said with a light sigh.

"Bella, I don't hold what happened to Jacob against you. Before I imprinted on Emily I contemplated doing the same thing," he admitted.

"What stopped you?" she asked.

"I realized that I had more to gain by staying. A few weeks later I met Emily," he answered with a gentle smile.

Bella nodded, not knowing what to say.

"Jacob says that he'll be coming home once he finishes school. That means you only have five more months without him," he mentioned.

Bella nodded again, not able to hold back the small smile that tugged at her lips.

"The pack is talking about flying down to see him when he graduates," he said.

"He's graduating a year early?" she asked in surprise with raised eyebrows.

"Mm hmm, Bec has been buckling down on him. Turns out he's smarter than he wanted everybody to believe," he said with a teasing smile.

Bella laughed breathlessly as Sam's smile changed to one of warmth. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small silver paper wrapped box. He took Bella's hand and placed the box in it before walking away. Bella stood frozen where she was until after he had walked out of the store.

The box in her hand was light enough to make her wonder what was in the small square box. She pulled off the paper to see a black felt box. She opened the lid to see a beautiful silver chain with an elaborate silver key attached. She pulled it out of the box and put it on without thinking twice. She would call Emily later to thank her.

Five excruciating hours later she locked the store for the night. In her car, waiting for it to warm up she opened her phone. Jacob's smiling face stared back at her and she smiled sadly. She wondered how she made it through the day some days and then she would think of Jacob and she would tell herself that if he could make it, then so could she.

**AN2: For those of you who do not know what 'Mele Kalikimaka' means, it means 'Merry Christmas' in Hawaiian. You really can learn a lot from music. Thank you Jimmy Buffett.**


	6. The Prodigal Son Returns

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**AN: Some of you have to wondering if I forgot something from the last chapter. I did not forget to add Jake's reunion with the pack. He will confront Sam in this chapter, I promise.**

Jacob kept his mind clear as he ran. The last thing he needed was for someone to find him. Rachel probably had the entire pack waiting for him. He didn't want a welcoming committee; he wanted answers. He slowed to a stop to change back into human form. He was exhausted; he would probably pass out where he stood as soon as he said what he needed to say to Sam.

He could see his house from the end of his road a quarter of a mile away. Every light in the house was on, calling to him like a beacon from a long missed light house. Maybe a few hours of sleep would be good for him.

He gripped the railing of the ramp to keep from falling over as he made his way to the door. The door slowly opened and Rachel's silhouette came into view.

"Welcome home," she said quietly.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"I know that I'm not the person that you want to hear that from; but under the circumstances I am what you got," she said giving him an even look.

"Who all did you tell?"

"No one," she stated plainly.

"No one, not even Quil or Embry?" he asked.

"No," she said with a shake of her head.

"Where's Dad?"

"He's in the hospital. We'll go and see him in the morning," she promised.

"Bec is coming up this weekend. That reminds me; will you call her and tell her that I'm here? Can you come up with something when she asks how I got home so fast?" he asked.

"Sure," she said with a nod.

He dropped his bags at the foot of the bed before throwing himself onto it. He groaned as the bed sank beneath his weight. Sleeping in his own bed was going to take a while to get readjusted to. He was asleep before Rachel could get off the phone with Rebecca.

XXXX

The pack formed a circle around Sam, wondering why he had called for a meeting in the middle of the night.

"Paul got a call from Rachel a few hours ago. Jacob is home; before all of you start talking at once I want you to know that he thinks that I am to blame for his dad wanting him to be Alpha. So he's a little angry and I fully intend to take whatever he dishes out. I don't want him to find out from anyone but me that Quil Sr. is the one who talked to Billy. Is that clear?" he questioned pointedly.

Everyone agreed with him before he moved on to the next topic.

"I am going to make one last command as Alpha and I think all of you will agree with me when I say that Jacob cannot know about Bella just yet. None of you are to talk to him about her until I say so. He has a lot to adjust to and he doesn't need the added stress of seeing her added onto it."

"What if she's his imprint?" Seth asked.

"What if she isn't?" Paul asked harshly.

"I want Bella to be Jake's imprint just as much as the rest of you do, but he needs time for himself and to get used to being a part of the pack again," Sam reasoned.

"That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard," Quil said with a scoff.

"Are you going against my command Quil?" he accused.

"No, but I don't agree with it either," he said glaring at Sam.

"Do you want what's best for Jake?" Embry asked pointedly.

"Yes, that's why I think that we should tell him right away," Quil reasoned.

"No," Sam said flatly.

Quil shook his head before walking away from the group. Embry gave Sam a pleading look, asking silently for permission to go after his friend. Sam nodded his approval before dismissing everyone. He wasn't looking forward to having Jacob confront him. He hoped that Jacob would listen to reason and see that he was willing to do whatever possible to help him adjust to being Alpha.

XXXX

Jacob walked through Sam's yard, not knowing what would happen. Rachel had gone so far as to try to get Paul to try to reason with him. Paul had been no help so she had finally given up after half an hour. He walked up the stairs seeing Emily through the kitchen window. Her back was to him, so she had yet to see him. He knocked on the door lightly, hearing her walk across the cabin.

Her eyes widened in surprise before pulling him into the house. He let her pull him in for a hug, patting her on the back lightly. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up at him. He gave her a tight lipped smile before pulling away from her. Sam came down the stairs, watching them interact.

Jacob's eyes met his as he past him to walk out the door. Jacob followed him to the yard silently.

"I know you think you know what happened while you were gone. So let me have it," Sam ordered.

"You're just going to let me lash out at you?" Jacob asked credulously.

"You're going to be Alpha soon, I have to get used to it," Sam said with a shrug.

"That's at the top of my list of things that piss me off. You waited until I was gone to persuade my dad that it was time to buckle down on my duty to the pack," Jacob accused.

"Is there anything else that you want to add?" Sam asked with no emotion.

"I don't appreciate you bullying Quil," Jacob said flatly.

"Quil told you that I was bullying him?" Sam asked in a worried tone.

"No. I put two and two together," Jacob said with a sigh.

"Why would you think that I would bully Quil?" Sam asked.

"Why else would he not talk to me while I was gone?" Jacob reasoned.

"If you want to know than ask him. He's right behind you," Sam said gesturing with his head over Jacob's shoulder.

Jacob spun on his heel, almost colliding with Quil. He had lost his sense of his surroundings in his anger. Quil was glaring at him as he shook his head.

"How dare you talk to him like that," Quil spat.

"What?" Jacob asked, flabbergasted.

"Your time away didn't teach you anything. You're the still the hot head that you were when you left," Quil said getting in Jacob's face.

"Easy, Quil," Sam said calmly.

"Let me talk to him. I'll straighten it out," Quil pleaded.

"What did I say last night?" Sam asked evenly.

"He has no right to be angry with you. You aren't the problem!" Quil said, his voice rising higher with every word.

"You didn't talk to my dad?" Jacob asked, looking at Sam out of the corner of his eye.

"Since Quil went against what I asked I might as well tell you. No, I didn't. I told him that I would stay on as Alpha if you decided that you didn't want to after all," Sam explained.

"I'm not going back on my word," Jacob said, giving him an even look.

"I chose not to talk to talk to you while you were gone," Quil said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Why?" Jacob asked, hurt.

"Seth and I made a choice that no one else would. Someone had to look after Bella since you couldn't," Quil said flatly.

Jacob's eyes drifted to the ground at the mention of Bella's name. He hadn't thought that something might happen while he was gone; he was thankful that Quil and Seth had. He nodded, his lips forming a hard line.

"Why didn't you start talking to me after she and Edward got married?" Jacob asked.

"That was my choice too," Quil reminded him.

"I'm sorry for lashing out at you," Jacob apologized, holding his hand out to Sam.

"You had to get it out somehow," Sam said shaking his hand.

"Who talked my dad into talking to me about becoming Alpha?"

"My granddad," Quil answered.

He should have known that was who it was. Quil Sr. had been giving him hell about turning down the position of Alpha since he decided against it. He shook his head, knowing that Sam meant well. He didn't give his elder the credit he deserved.

XXXX

Bella was ringing up a customer when her cell phone rang. Kourtney grabbed it from off the counter as Bella bagged the persons purchase.

"It's Quil, can I answer it?" she asked hopefully.

"Go ahead."

"Hey Bonehead," Kourtney said answering the phone as the person walked out the door.

Bella could hear Quil's laughter as she put the phone to her ear. There was muffled talking in the background, and she could hear Quil walking around.

"Whatcha need?"

"I was calling to let you know that I can't come over this weekend. My exam grades came back and my mom is pissed," he explained.

"I helped you study. How did you fail?" she asked in confusion.

"I don't know. She says I'm grounded until interim's come out," he said helplessly.

"What else is going on? There's a lot of noise on your end," she yelled over the noise.

"We're having a pack meeting in my living room. I'll call you again when I get the chance," he promised.

"I don't want you to get into trouble. Interim's come out in a few weeks; I'll miss you, but I'll suffer through it," she said with a light laugh.

She heard Sam call for Quil over his laughter. She got off the phone, watching Kourtney shut down the computers for the night.

"What did he want?"

"He can't hang out with us this weekend. He didn't do that well on his exams and now he's grounded," she explained as the news continued to sink in. Something didn't sound right.

"Well that sucks. I was looking forward to going hiking with him and his friend that you were telling me about," she complained.

"I'll call Embry later and see if he still wants to go."

Kourtney nodded, gathering her things together. A few minutes later they were getting in their cars. Bella waved, letting Kourtney leave first. She had a hard time believing that Quil had failed his exams. They had gone over everything repeatedly. Something else was going on, but what?

XXXX

Jacob rolled over with a sigh when he felt something hit him in the back of the head. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, waiting for his vision to focus on the blur that was standing at his bedroom door.

"Why aren't you at school?" Rebecca asked in a harsh tone.

"Bec..." Jacob whined, his voice still thick with sleep.

"Answer me, Jacob Ephraim," she warned.

"Gah," he said with a strangled sigh.

"Ina, he's in here," she called.

"You brought Luna?" he asked sitting upright in bed quickly.

"Are you sick?" Ina asked from the door.

"No. I'm getting tested to see if I can donate a kidney to dad today."

"Why didn't you tell me that in the first place?" Rebecca accused.

"You didn't give me a chance to," he said pulling a shirt over his head.

"Have you gone to the school to enroll?"

"I need my legal guardian or a family member to do it. Dad can't for obvious reasons and Rachel has enough going on," he explained.

"I remembered to bring your transcripts from Hawaii, that way you can get the credits that you've worked so hard for," she said with a shake of her head.

"Thank you," he said gratefully.

"I'll go by on Monday, because I will not let you fall behind. You have come too far to let anything stop you," she ranted.

"Have you seen her yet?" Ina asked.

"No. I don't think I'm ready yet," he said with a shake of his head.

"You have to face your fears at some point," Rebecca reasoned.

"If the two of you are as close as you claimed you were, she's probably missed you just as much as you've missed her," Ina said giving him a sympathetic look.

"You don't know what has happened since you left. So maybe they did get married? Who's to say that she regrets it because she wants to be with you and she's waiting for you to come home so that she can break it to him? What if she changed her mind? You'll never know what will happen if you don't try," Rachel said from the living room.

"Do you know something that the rest of us don't?" Rebecca asked as she walked into the living room.

Jacob was out of his room and across the hall to the living room before Rachel could answer.

"I'm just saying that the three of you shouldn't jump to conclusions," Rachel said before shrugging.

"You shouldn't get his hopes up like that Rach. What were you thinking?" Rebecca said, admonishing her younger sister.

"Come on Jacob, I'll make you something to eat," Ina said draping an arm over Jacob's shoulders.

Jacob let her pull him into the kitchen then sat down at the table with his head in his hands. What if Bella wasn't a vampire after all? What if she had seen the error of her ways once he left? Was Edward still in the picture, or was she suffering alone the way he was? There was only way to find out.

**AN: Dun, dun, dun...I did it again! Please no hate mail, I fully intend to devote the entire next to chapter to their reunion. Meanwhile, hit that review button.**


	7. Claiming what is Rightfully His

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

The tiny sports car in the driveway threw him off. Charlie must have finally hit his midlife crisis and bought that sports car he'd always wanted. He made his way up the walkway, hearing nothing but the birds talking back and forth as they flew from tree to tree. He opened the front door, taking in the place that he had called his second home since childhood. Nothing about it had changed.

He was standing at the bottom of the stairs when he caught a smell that he would never forget. A mix of apples and vanilla filtered down the stairs making him take them two at a time. Bella's door was ajar and the smell of her shampoo and lotion almost brought him to tears. The room was dark as he silently pushed the door open. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out her shape in the bed. He should have waited a while longer. It was way too early, so he would be forced to reign in his needs for a little while longer.

He sat in the rocker gently, wanting to make as little noise as possible. His hands rested on his legs, watching Bella as she slept. He couldn't believe that she was still human. Why hadn't anyone told him? If he had known, ready or not, he would have come home months ago. Being so close to her and not able to hold her, or see her face was the worst kind of torture that he had ever been through.

The sun cast an orange glow across the room an hour and half later and he had never been more glad that she slept with the curtains open. He was also glad that she was facing him while she slept. He stood from the chair, holding it so that it didn't move with the loss of his weight. He moved to sit underneath the window that was next to her bed.

Impatient, he pushed himself from off the floor quietly and put a hand on her arm half an hour later. She flinched, but didn't pull away from him. The electricity that was coursing through him was something that he would never forget, and he hoped that the feeling lasted forever. She sighed deeply as he traced the fingers of his free hand down the side of her face. Her eyebrows knitted together as he smiled down at her.

"Come on, wake up," he said soothingly.

Bella's eyes fluttered open, her eyes focusing on Jacob's face. She had to be dreaming. Jacob stood over her, with a look in his eye that she had seen him give her so many times. The look that let her know, that she was the only person who was important to him. She'd had dreams of him giving her that look. How had she never caught on to the meaning behind it while she was with Edward?

He was not prepared for what happened when her eyes finally focused on his. His breath was knocked out of him and he had to hold himself back from standing over her. His breathing returned to normal after a few minutes to be replaced by the most intense feeling of wonder and want that he had ever felt. He had willed this moment to happen for over a year and now that it had everything that they had been through had happened for a reason. They weren't supposed to be together until now.

He continued to stare down at her, giving her that intense, pleading, loving look. His touch seemed so real. He sat on the bed, his hand still on her arm. His features changed to one of concern as he took her in. She showed no emotion whatsoever. This was the most bizarre dream that she had ever had. Why couldn't she wake up? She clenched her eyes shut, counting to ten before opening her eyes. Jacob sat over her with an amused smile pulling at his lips.

"You think you're dreaming, don't you?" he chuckled.

"I have to be," she reasoned.

"Why? Did you think that I wouldn't come back?" he asked soothingly.

"Not until June," she stated.

"Who told you that?" he asked his face weary.

"Sam did, almost a week ago."

"Everything always comes back to him. No one from the pack had the nerve to tell me that you weren't with Edward," he said, his voice holding a hint of aggravation.

"Sam banned them from talking about me," she pointed out.

"That's why Quil couldn't have contact with me. He was still talking to you after Edward left," he acknowledged.

"You're the reason that Quil lied to me," Bella said as the reason for Quil's strange behavior dawned on her.

Jacob's coming home was the reason for Quil's for backing out of their plans that weekend.

"Sam," Jacob said through clenched teeth.

"Have you imprinted on me? I can feel that something has changed," she said with hopefulness.

"Yes," he said with a tender smile.

She laughed excitedly as she sat up. She threw her arms around his shoulders, holding onto him tightly.

"I love you," she whispered.

"And that tops off this perfect situation. Who told you that there was still chance that I could imprint on you?" he murmured.

"Rachel."

"She's the one who told me to confront you. She hinted that there was a possibility that you weren't with Edward," he said with wonder.

"I'm just now starting to get to know her," Bella stated.

"I can tell you now, she's a handful, but I love her anyway because she's my sister and she means well," he said with a lopsided smile.

She laughed breathlessly before sighing deeply. She had wanted to tell him that she loved him every time he had said it to her but she had stopped herself because she felt that it was wrong to tell him that she loved him while she loved someone else. Now that all of that stress was behind her she would always be honest with him. He deserved someone that would treat him right, and never betray him. That was the kind of person she was going to be. She had made the mistake of hurting him and in the process pushed him away once, she wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

Jacob took hold of her hands before lying down on the bed, pulling her with him. With their hands in between them Bella placed her forehead to his. There was so much more that she wanted to say. She wanted to tell him everything that had happened while he was gone, but she didn't want to break the silence that had fallen between them. They had the rest of their lives to talk; right now she was going to bask in the excitement of finally starting a relationship with him.

He stared at her with warm, caring eyes and a small, content smile tugging at his lips. She pulled one of her hands from his to brush her hair out of her eyes before linking hands with him again. Her head tilted on its own accord and before she could stop herself, she pressed her lips to his. All of the feelings from the last time they had kissed were still there, and this time she wasn't going to fight them.

The kiss was soft and gentle, not something she had come to expect from Jacob. She let herself get swept into the moment as he let go of her hands and his fingers threaded into her hair. She pressed a hand to his chest, feeling his heartbeat underneath her fingers. It was strong and steady, its beat almost mimicking hers.

He could have continued kissing her forever; he let out a strangled growl when she pulled away. Her chest was heaving and her face was flushed from lack of oxygen. Even through all of that she had a satisfied smile spread across her face. For it being her first time initiating things, it had been as perfect as he had always imagined it would be. He wrapped his arms around her waist, crushing her to him before resting his chin on her shoulder. He wanted to take in everything about her so that if God forbid they were separated again he would be able to remember her.

XXXX

Rebecca was in with the doctor when Jacob showed up at the hospital after spending the whole day with Bella. Rachel gave him an admonishing look as he sat across from her.

"I was able to schedule you an appointment for tomorrow," she said pointedly.

"Thanks," he said giving her a sheepish smile.

"Do you want to tell me why I had to reschedule your appointment?" she prodded.

"I took what you said yesterday morning to heart. I had to work up the nerve to go over there," he explained.

"You went to see Bella?" she asked her eyes wide with surprise.

"Yeah," he said rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at the floor.

"Well?" she asked, giving him an expectant look.

His smile widened to a grin as he looked at his sister from under his lashes.

"Did you imprint on her?" she asked quietly.

"Thank you for telling her by the way. You don't know how many times I almost told her myself," he said shaking his head, remembering the way things used to be.

"I'm just glad that the two of you know where you stand. I'm happy for you," she said with a smile.

"I'm ecstatic; my life is finally starting to go the way I want it to," he said as a door down the hall opened and his sister and Ina stepped out.

"Where have you been? We still have to pay for the appointment you missed," Rebecca said giving him an icy glare.

"I had someone that I had to see, and I lost track of time," he apologized.

"This person had better have been important," she said credulously.

"They were," Jacob said reassuringly.

"He went to see Bella," Rachel said quickly.

"Thanks Rach," he said giving her a pointed look.

"She isn't married, is she?" Ina asked.

"Her ex-fiancée called off the wedding the day they were supposed to get married," Rachel answered.

"Are the two of you together?" Rebecca asked.

"Yes."

"Good. Let her know that if she hurts you I will hunt her down and skewer her and roast her like a pig," she warned.

"Living in Hawaii has made you scary," Rachel said giving her a worried look.

"I mean it. If she hurts you, I will make her regret it," Rebecca said pointing an accusing finger at Jacob.

"When will you find out if you're a match for Dad?" Jacob asked, hoping to change the subject.

"The doctor is checking the results now," Ina said.

"Where is Bella now?" Rachel asked.

"At work, I'm going back over there once she gets off because Charlie is working the graveyard shift tonight," he explained.

"How did he take finding out that you were back and that you and Bella were together?" Rebecca asked.

"We haven't told him yet. He's been hunting all day and he was still gone when I left," he said sheepishly.

Silence fell over the siblings after Ina announced that she was going to go and get them all something to drink. He was glad that his sisters supported his decision to go and see Bella and were happy for him. What he wanted more than anything was to talk to his dad. Billy had yet to wake up from the coma that had prompted Jacob to come home.

XXXX

Bella sat next to Jacob, holding his hand while the nurse drew blood from his hip. He had never liked needles, joining the pack hadn't changed that. He flinched as he watched the needle sink into his hip for the fourth time.

"If it bothers you that much then you shouldn't watch," Bella said, running her fingers through his hair.

"How did you manage to get that tattoo and not have it bother you?" The nurse asked.

"People had to hold me down. I'm holding it in so that she doesn't think I'm a wuss," he said gesturing to Bella.

Bella gave him a teasing smile as she shook her head. She found it amusing that he could joke even when he was nervous. His eyes fixed on the necklace dangling from her neck and then he flicked his eyes to hers in question. She smiled tenderly with a shake of her head, she would explain later. The nurse finished and Jacob pulled up his boxers.

"Nice butt by the way," Bella said teasingly.

"I was hoping you would notice," he said giving her a lopsided grin.

"I just hope you didn't give her a free shot of your junk," she teased once more.

"I was careful," he said nonchalantly.

"So Rebecca is a match?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah; the doctor said my dad would need both kidneys replaced though, so a lot is riding on me being a match," he said nervously.

Bella ran a hand through his hair gently, hoping to reassure him. She had never had to deal with this kind of thing so she didn't know what to say to make him feel better. He closed his eyes with a sigh before grabbing hold of her hand. She squeezed it tightly, as he pulled his jeans up one handed.

Outside, Rebecca was reading a magazine. She looked up giving them a sarcastic, bored look.

"How big of a baby was he?" she asked.

"He did okay," Bella praised.

"I can't believe he was able to hide it from you for this long," she said as she stood from her chair.

"Can we not talk about my dislike of needles?" Jacob asked with a sigh.

"They used to freak him out to the point that he would cry," she teased.

"He's moved up from that. I did have to hold his hand though," Bella said with a light laugh.

"I don't know about the two of you, but I am hungry. How about we go down to the cafe and get something?" he asked changing the subject.

"You're always hungry," They said at the same time.

Jacob sighed again as they walked towards the elevators. He knew that Rebecca would like Bella, what he hadn't planned on was that they would gang up on him. They had joined forces without his realizing it. He was going to have to be careful from now on.

XXXX

Jacob was sleeping when the phone rang in the kitchen. He woke up by the third ring, stumbling towards the kitchen. Where were his sisters? He rubbed sleep from his eyes as he reached for the phone.

"Hello?" he asked groggily.

"This is Chantel from United Arms Hospital; may I speak to Rebecca Suno, please?" she asked politely.

"She isn't here right now, I'm her brother. Is there something wrong with our dad?" he asked.

"You're Jacob Black?" she asked cautiously.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"I cannot divulge any information to you since you are under the age of eighteen. But I can assure you, my reason for calling has nothing to do with your father," she said politely.

He slammed the phone onto the receiver in frustration before picking it up again. He angrily punched in Rebecca's cell number wishing that his dad would break down and by a cordless phone. Her phone rang three times before going to voice mail.

"I was just calling to let you know that the hospital called. They wouldn't tell me anything other than it didn't have anything to do with Dad. Call me as soon as you call them back," he said, his voice tense.

He moved to the refrigerator after getting off the phone. He had been waiting to hear back about his test results and Rebecca knew that. Why would she take off without letting him know that she was leaving? That wasn't like her.

The front door opened and Rachel came in followed by Paul. Jacob crossed the room quickly to meet them in the foyer.

"Where's the fire Jake?" Rachel asked.

"Where's Bec?"

"She's probably still registering you for school. Why?" she asked cautiously.

"The hospital called for her. I think they have my test results ready," he mumbled.

"How about I call and check?" she asked before she passed him to grab the phone.

She talked quietly to the person on the other end before hanging up the phone.

"Well?" he asked her expectantly.

"You're not a match. Rebecca needs to call and set up an appointment so that she and dad can have surgery," she said with a shake of her head.

Jacob exhaled the breath he was holding before sitting at the table.

"It's okay, he can survive with one kidney until another one is found. Isn't it better this way? If you were a match someone was bound to know something was up when the anestesia didn't work on you or that you healed from surgery in a matter of hours," she stated.

"You're right," he agreed with a solemn nod.

"You need to talk to Charlie."

"Why?" he asked confused.

"Not only is Dad going to need to be close to the hospital for the next few months, Rebecca is going to have to stay for a few weeks to recooperate. I am working two jobs so that I can save up money so I cannot do it. Plus, the house is too small for two invalids plus you," she pointed out.

"You don't know that Rebecca is going to stay," he argued.

"She can't fly home Jake, not after having major surgery."

"I wanted to break it to Charlie easy. Things with Bella and I are still new and I don't want to push her into something that she isn't ready for," he said as his face fell, crushed.

"I understand that. Maybe you should let him know that you're home first and then ease him into the idea of you and Bella," she offered.

"Did you know that Bella has a necklace?" he asked gesturing to the gem studded key dangling from a chain on Rachel's neck.

Rachel put a hand to her neck, fingering the charm. She shook her head with a perplexed expression. Something didn't add up.

"I mean it about Charlie though, he needs to know what going on and you need to ask him if dad and Bec can stay there, you'll be there by default."

Jacob nodded, knowing that Rachel was right. Charlie needed to know because he didn't want to break Charlie's trust. Charlie thought of Jacob as his own son and he didn't want things to be weird. He wanted to talk to Charlie on his own, without Bella so that he could do the right thing and make his intentions for Bella known. He was going to have to work fast since pretty soon he, his dad and Rebecca could be more than likely staying with him.


	8. Maintaining a Little Dignity

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**AN: Apparently a lot of you are very happy that Jake and Bella are together. I couldn't keep those two love starved kids apart for much longer. Thanks for all the awesome reviews you guys. You rock!**

Jacob stood at the tree line, scanning the police station parking lot. If Charlie wasn't there; there wasn't any use in him making his presence known. Once he was sure that Charlie wasn't there he pushed off with the balls of his feet, sprinting towards Bella's.

Charlie's cruiser was parked in the driveway along with his truck. He was thankful that the Roadster was gone; he wanted to be able to talk to Charlie on his own. There wasn't any reason for Bella to have to deal with this. It wasn't like she had asked for it to happen. He gathered all the courage he had before ringing the doorbell for the first time that he could remember.

Charlie opened the door looking over his shoulder into the living room. The Seahawks must have been winning.

"What do you want?" Charlie asked, not looking at Jacob.

"Hey, Charlie," Jacob said to get his attention.

Charlie's head swiveled back around slowly, taking in Jacob's features. His face was expressionless as he gave Jacob a once over.

"Where the hell have you been?" he asked gruffly.

"I was with Rebecca," he said quietly, looking down at his hands.

"At least you were safe. You look good," he admitted, his features softening.

"You too," Jacob said with an easy smile.

"Bella isn't here. She won't be back until tonight," he offered.

"I know," Jacob said with a nod.

"It figures she would already know that you're back and didn't tell me," Charlie said with a light chuckle and a shake of his head.

"Can I come in? I need to talk to you," he asked, his eyes shifting nervously.

"Sure," he said opening the door to let Jacob walk past him.

Charlie turned the game off once they were in the living room. He sat in his recliner while Jacob sat on the couch a few feet away.

"I had a feeling that you would come back soon," Charlie said folding his arms over his chest.

"I came back as soon as I heard about my dad," Jacob reassured.

"He knew that you were with Rebecca?" he asked in concern.

"Becca called him the day I got there. I didn't keep much contact with him," he said, focusing on his hands once more.

"I'm real sorry about the situation that you were put in to make you leave," Charlie said sympathetically.

"It's in the past," Jacob said, brushing the subject off.

"Has Bella told you what happened?" he prodded.

"We haven't talked about Edward, no," he said with a shake of his head.

"She wouldn't want you to worry," Charlie said in concern.

"What happened? Did they fight a lot?" Jacob asked his face awash with worry.

"That's just the thing, they never talked about you. I was scared that she was going to sink into depression again, but Quil and Seth stepped in and made sure that didn't happen. Nothing could stop her from dreaming about you though. I can't tell you how many nights I sat by her bed and listened to her plead with you to come home, or if she could just have another chance she would have given you a reason to stay. Do you want to tell me what that means?" he asked with intrigue.

"It's part of a conversation we had last summer," Jacob said quietly.

"I'll leave it at that. So, what did you want to talk to me about? Do you want my permission to date her?" he asked seriously.

"There is that," Jacob said with a nod of his head.

He hadn't wanted to proceed with his relationship with Bella without asking for Charlie's permission. It was what Billy had done with Sarah and Syrus had called and asked for Billy's permission to date Rebecca and then marry her within three weeks' time.

"Have you talked to her about it yet?" Charlie asked the worry line at the center of his forehead visible.

"We're still sorting things out," Jacob admitted.

"I don't have a problem with you dating Bella. I'm all for it," Charlie said with a nod.

"There's something else that I need to talk to you about," Jacob said with a sigh.

"Let's have it," Charlie said encouraging him to continue.

"Before I tell you, I want you to know that I will never let anything happen to Bella. I have her best interest at heart, I always have," he promised.

"I know that."

"What I'm going to tell you is going to be hard for you to believe but if you would just hear me out, I can prove what I am about to say is true."

"Out with it Jake, you're starting to scare me," Charlie said his face a mask of concern.

"I know that you've noticed that I have changed in the last year," he began.

"It would be hard not to notice. You shot up what, a foot and a half in less than a month at the beginning of the year?" he asked with a laugh.

"That sounds about right," Jacob said, nodding his head in agreement.

"What does that have to do with what's going on?"

"That isn't the only change I've gone through," Jacob said slowly.

Jacob exhaled deeply, running his fingers through his hair nervously. Now that he was about to unload everything he was starting to have second thoughts. It would be best to just let Charlie down easy by focusing on the positive things that had happened and not the negative. He didn't want to give Charlie added reason to worry. Once he got to the part about the Cullen's Charlie would be worried enough, he didn't want to scare him on top of everything else.

"I came from a long line of defenders of my tribe. It goes back three centuries," Jacob said as gently as he could.

"Do you care to elaborate on that?" Charlie asked expectantly.

"Not everyone is chosen, it's very selective and once it chooses you, you can't deny it."

"You're speaking in riddles, Jake," he said with a nervous laugh.

"I descend from a line of great warriors, who take the honor of our tribe very seriously," he said trying to make things sound better than they seemed.

"That's great, but what does that have to do with Bells?"

"I think it would be best if I showed you, because my trying to explain it isn't coming out right."

"Okay," Charlie said slowly.

"Come outside with me," Jacob said standing.

He walked out of the room and a few seconds later the squeaking of the recliners springs let him know that Charlie was following behind him. He walked out the back door and across the yard and a good half a mile into the forest without saying a word. He turned around to see Charlie a few feet away from him, giving him an expectant look.

"You might want to stand back," Jacob warned before pulling his sweatshirt over his head.

Charlie walked backwards ten feet before stopping. Jacob gestured for him to keep walking with one hand as he pulled his jeans down with the other. He waited until Charlie was almost to the edge of the woods before concentrating on phasing. He recalled to memory how Sam had told him that phasing could be as easy as slipping from one thought to the next. He closed his eyes as he pulled up a mental image of himself in wolf form. It helped that Bella was a part of it. It was the night that he had gone to the clearing for vampire training and if he focused hard enough, he could still feel her fingers running through his fur.

"Oh sweet Jesus," Charlie said just loud enough for Jacob to remember that he was there.

Jacob opened his eyes to see Charlie staring at him with wide eyes. He towered over Charlie, who had to crane his neck almost completely backwards to take him in. He didn't look scared, just astonished. Jacob slipped back into human form effortlessly and Charlie took a few tentative steps towards him. He watched him as he stopped half a football field away.

"Could you get dressed Jake, you're making me uncomfortable," he said with trepidation.

"Sorry," Jacob said picking his clothes and dressing quickly.

"I'm going to ask you one last time, what has Bella got to do with this?" he asked sternly.

"I'm getting to that, I promise. I just didn't know how to tell you about-"

"The wolf thing, I get it," Charlie said putting up a hand to stop him from explaining.

"There are more like me, like I explained earlier. To keep the line going, we have to find our match, our soul mate for lack of better words."

"Bella's your soul mate?" Charlie asked with concern.

"Yes Sir."

"I have a question, I'm just curious. Does Edward fit into this somehow, is that why you two didn't get along?" Charlie prodded.

"Yes," he said quietly.

"Is it harder to explain than what you showed me?"

"He is the reason that Bella has been put in danger ever since she came to live with you," Jacob said, his lips forming a hard line.

"Does Bella know that?" he asked with worry.

"She's known all along," Jacob said with a scoff.

"How does Edward fit into this?" he asked with a muted sigh.

"You know those horror movies that you like to watch?" Jacob offered.

"Yeah," Charlie said giving him a blank look.

"It turns out that Werewolves aren't the only things that are real."

"You tell me what is going on right now Jacob Black or I'm hauling you down to the station," he warned.

"The Cullen's are vampires Charlie," Jacob explained.

"All of them?" Charlie asked as his face turned white.

"Every single one of them," he confirmed.

"Charlie?" Someone called from behind Charlie.

"That's Carlisle," Jacob said with a sigh.

"What am I supposed to do?" Charlie asked, panicked.

"Answer him, he won't hurt you," Jacob said with a laugh.

"I'm here," Charlie called, loud enough for Carlisle to hear.

Carlisle came out of trees in between Jacob and Charlie. He looked between the two of them gravely. Jasper came out behind him a few seconds later. Carlisle turned towards Jacob with his arms clasped behind his back.

"Welcome home Jacob, it's good to see you," Carlisle said with a warm smile.

"Thanks," Jacob said, giving him a hard look.

"I know that you did not intentionally tell Charlie about my family, you couldn't possibly know the repercussions that would come from it," Carlisle said gravely.

"What are you talking about? Bella's known for over a year," Jacob asked defensively.

"She has?" Charlie asked, looking between the two of them.

"Why do you think that we've been trying to protect Bella, Jacob? It was not just from Victoria and her army," Jasper explained.

"Bella didn't tell me that anyone else was after her," Jacob said shaking his head.

"There's someone after Bella? And who the hell is Victoria, and what is this about an army?" Charlie asked tensely.

"Victoria and her army are no longer a threat Chief Swan. I am sorry to say that who is after her will now be after the two of you as well. And they are much more threatening than a spurned female vampire, Jacob," Jasper said calmly.

"If we could go inside, Jasper and I will explain everything," Carlisle said before turning to walk towards the house.

"You don't know what's going on?" Charlie asked as Jacob fell into step with him.

"No," he said, his mouth forming a thin line.

Charlie was taking things very well, almost as well as Bella had. Jacob should have known that would happen. Bella did get her level headedness from Charlie. Even he could see that Jasper was rendered useless. Carlisle put a hand on Jasper's shoulder, speaking to him quietly. Jasper veered towards the front yard as they came out of the clearing.

Inside the house Carlisle and Jacob sat side by side on the couch while Charlie paced. His hands were clasped behind his back as he worked a hole in the floor.

"How much does Bella know?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"I can't speak for Jacob, but she knows everything about us. I think that to save yourself some grief and worrying that we should only tell you what you need to know," Carlisle reasoned.

"Don't do me any favors, Doc," Charlie said giving him an icy glare.

"Don't be mad at Bella, she didn't tell you for a reason," Jacob said pleadingly.

"What reason would that be Jake?" Charlie asked, turning his glare towards Jacob.

"To keep you safe; I can't believe that she didn't tell you about the Volturi Jacob," Carlisle answered for Jacob, shaking his head in dismay.

"Would you please tell us who they are?" Jacob asked.

"The Volturi are the royal family of Vampires. They are very few rules in our world. The number one rule is that humans cannot know that we exist. The results could be fatal. They are already after Bella," Carlisle said in concern.

"Then why would you tell Bella?" Charlie asked.

"We didn't, I still don't know how she figured it out."

"I told her," Jacob said as it dawned on him.

"What?" Charlie asked.

"I didn't know that it was true at the time, I was telling her legends about my tribe and the Cullen's were brought up," Jacob said as he put his face in his hands.

"How bad could this be for her?" Charlie asked, fear lacing his voice.

"It could be deadly for all three of you if the Volturi find out."

"What have I done?" Jacob moaned.

"You didn't know," Carlisle said, putting a hand on his back to sooth him.

"Since Jacob has told me a little about himself, why don't you tell me about your family? I mean, it's a little late for secrecy now."

Carlisle started from the beginning and nearly an hour and a hundred questions from Charlie later, he was finished. Jacob had heard most of what he had said already from Bella, so it wasn't much of a shock to him. When he was finished Charlie looked to Jacob expectantly. It was his turn to talk again.

"There are a dozen more people from my tribe like me. Seth and Leah Clearwater included," Jacob explained.

"What about Sam, I noticed that he has a tattoo like yours."

"Him too, the tattoo represents our being tied together in brotherhood," Jacob said with a nod.

"Do you have any special powers like the Cullen's?"

"Nothing too extreme; we have super human strength and we can read each other's minds when we are in wolf form. We can heal very rapidly and only one thing can kill us."

"What is that?" Charlie asked, intrigued.

"Vampire venom," Jacob said quietly.

"You forgot your temperature," Carlisle reminded him.

"Thank you. Our bodies run a little hotter than yours does. It's why I burn off all of the food I eat so quickly."

"I was wondering about that. I asked your dad why you weren't as big as a house once and he said that I wouldn't believe him if he told me," Charlie chuckled.

"We are going to need to start patrolling again. I can have Alice keep a look out for the Volturi," Carlisle offered.

"You guys have had a threat like this before?" Charlie asked with wide eyes.

"Remember Victoria and the army we mentioned earlier?" Carlisle asked.

"Yeah," Charlie said with a shrug and a blank look.

"Victoria wanted to kill Bella, so she formed a twenty vampire army. We were able to fend them off pretty easily," Jacob assured him.

"The Volturi won't be as easy Jacob. They haven't lasted for three millennia without being careful and cunning," Carlisle warned.

"Three thousand years?" Jacob asked shock.

"I told you that they were the strongest and most lethal family in all of my history."

"Take my mind off of it. I can't think about it anymore," Charlie said his face a mix of pain and anguish.

Bella's car could be heard pulling up in the driveway and the three of them froze. When she came through the door a minute later they were staring at her. She froze where she was, taking them in. Charlie stared at her like he didn't know her, he was hurt. Jacob was staring at her like he was about ready to explode. He quickly recovered and gave her an even look. Carlisle gave her a sympathetic look that let her know exactly what had happened.

"Bella, could you come in here please?" Carlisle asked.

She crossed the room slowly to stand next to her dad, she took one of his hands in hers and he looked down at her unsurely.

"I'm sorry for not telling you. I didn't want anything to happen to you," she said with remorse.

"It would have helped if you had told me the truth. I wouldn't have told him if you had," Jacob said, giving her a tense look.

Charlie squeezed her hand tightly before letting go. She walked around the coffee table to stand in front of Jacob. She placed her hands on his shoulders before he finally met her gaze.

"I didn't tell you for the same reason I didn't tell him. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to the two of you. You are the two most important people in my life," she said apologetically.

His face softened before pulling her to him. He buried his face in her hair, not caring that there were other people in the room. He breathed deeply, feeling his anger and resentment towards her melt away.

"What about you Bella? What are you?" Charlie asked.

"Me? I'm just Bella," she said what a nervous laugh.

"No you're not. You're more amazing than the pack and the Cullen's put together," Jacob said.

"You do have something that most people don't," Carlisle said.

"What is that?" Bella asked, confused.

"The ability to keep Edward out of your head and what you did with the Volturi last spring was pretty impressive," Carlisle marveled.

"But I didn't really do anything to the Volturi, and I don't know why Edward can't read my mind," she said shaking her head in confusion.

"He describes it as a defensive wall that you have put up to keep unwanted people out," Carlisle offered.

"Edward wasn't unwanted," she stated.

"He knows that, he thinks that you were so used to keeping people at bay that you couldn't let it down for him. He was not offended, I assure you," he said kindly.

"I was able to break through it," Jacob said smugly.

"And look where that got me," Bella said rolling her eyes sarcastically.

"Are you complaining?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Not at all," she answered with a smile.

"Maybe we should give them a moment," Carlisle said to Charlie.

"I think I'll stay," Charlie said watching them stare at each other lovingly.

"Come on Charlie," Carlisle said pulling him gently from the room.

Jacob cupped Bella's face in his hands before putting his forehead to hers. He kept his eyes on hers, not caring that Charlie was in the next room. He would hold back the urge to kiss her until they were alone. In the kitchen Charlie grabbed himself a beer before coming to sit at the table. Carlisle leaned against the counter with his ankles crossed.

"Coming from someone who has seen two of his daughters fall in love, I can tell you that Jacob is a good match for Bella. He makes her happy and he loves her with his whole heart," Carlisle said reassuringly.

"This coming from her ex-fiancées father," Charlie muttered.

"I have always thought that Jacob was a good person. He's a little brash and reacts without thinking at times, but he's a teenager. I have one just like him," he said with a smile.

"I know that Jake's a good kid. Hell, he's a great kid. I have never had the first problem with him. But the idea of him dating Bella…I've gotta be honest with you Doc; it gives me heart palpitations," Charlie said worriedly.

Carlisle threw his head back before laughing heartily. Jacob's deep rumble could be heard a few seconds later.

"What's so funny?" Bella could be heard asking Jacob quietly.

"I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have heard a father say that. Charlie you don't have to worry, you won't actually have a heart attack," Carlisle said once he was able to control himself.

"I'm glad that you find it funny," Charlie murmured, looking at Carlisle unsurely.

"Charlie I promise you that I will not hurt Bella. I may have broken one promise to her, but I am not going to make the same mistake twice," Jacob said loud enough for Charlie to hear.

Bella smiled up at him sadly remembering the night that he had promised that he would never leave her or let her down. Had it really been less than a year ago? He had done what he needed to do and she couldn't blame him for doing it. She honestly didn't hold a grudge against him.

"Did you really come over here just to tell him about you and the Cullen's?" Bella asked.

Jacob's face fell as he realized he hadn't talked to Charlie about the other thing that he had come over for.

"No. I still need to talk to him," Jacob said letting go of her.

He came to sit across from Charlie while Bella busied herself with finding something to make for dinner.

"I found out today that I'm not a match for my dad. Rebecca is and she and dad need to have the surgery as soon as possible. Rachel doesn't think that she'll be able to take care of them while they recuperate. I would able to help you take care of my dad and Rebecca after school if you'd let me stay here too. Plus, my dad would be closer to the hospital here," Jacob said giving Charlie a pleading look.

"The three of you can stay here."

"I'm sure Sue and Emily will be here when the three of us can't be," Jacob thought out loud.

"I don't have a problem with it," Charlie said shaking his head.

"Thanks, Charlie," Jacob said with a grateful smile.

His phone rang before Charlie could answer. He pulled it out of his pocket seeing Rebecca's name flash across the screen.

"Hey."

"I have good news," she stated.

"You scheduled the surgery?" he asked expectantly.

"Okay, so I have two pieces of good news. The first made me forget that," she said with a sigh.

"Dad's awake?" he asked hopefully.

"Rachel doesn't want him to know that we're here until we can go in together. Hurry up and get your ass here little brother," she said before hanging up.

Jacob hung up his phone before standing quickly. Charlie, Bella and Carlisle watched as he ran out the front door. Bella stood at the door watching him. He was at the end of the street, which was a good mile from the house when she shut the door. She would go and see Billy later with Charlie. The Blacks were in need of a long awaited family reunion.

XXXX

Rachael sat next to Billy's bed while the doctor explained what had happened to him. He said that while he had found a matche for him and that he was a donor list for a second kidney. Billy was baffled that they had found a match for him in less than two weeks.

"When will the surgery happen?" Billy asked weakly.

"The day after tomorrow," The doctor said with a smile.

"Will I be able to meet my donor?"

"Usually, we don't condone that, but I am willing to make an exception, just this once," he said with a nod.

"When can I see them?" he asked expectantly.

"They're on their way Dad," Rachel said reassuringly.

Her cell phone buzzed a few seconds later. She slid it open and then closed it again without texting the person back. She stood from her chair and the door clicked shut silently behind her.

"Where is she going?" Billy asked his face a mask of panic.

"She'll be right back. There are some people who have been waiting to see you."

There was a knock at the door a few seconds later. The doctor opened it and Billy stared at Jacob as tears formed in his eyes.

"I'll give the two of you a few minutes," The doctor said before walking out the door.

"Rebecca's here too," Jacob said after a few seconds of silence.

"Which of you is a match?" Billy asked quietly.

"Bec. Try not to talk too much. You need to save your strength."

"Have you seen Bella?" Billy asked, ignoring what Jacob had just said.

"We'll talk all about that when we get to Charlie's on Saturday."

Jacob had given Billy the answer he wanted without actually having to say it outright. Billy sunk deeper against the pillows with a smile before closing his eyes. He wasn't going to be happy when he found out that Jacob had told Charlie everything but he would deal with that later. Right now he was going to focus on the fact that his dad was awake and they had been able to talk for a few minutes before Billy fell back to sleep. He was going to take one milestone at a time.


	9. A Leap of Faith

**Disclaimer: The last time I checked, I did not own Twilight. Wait, let me check again...Darn it!**

Billy's doctor thought that having the surgery right away would be best. Rebecca, Rachel, and Jacob had talked about how they would come up with the money since Billy didn't have insurance on himself. Jacob had slapped for sale signs on the Rabbit and Bella's bike after getting her permission. They had nicknamed the bike the Death Trap and Bella hadn't rode it since her first lesson. He'd already had four calls about the car but none of them were willing to pay what he was asking for.

They would worry about the rest of the money once the bills started coming in. Rebecca was admitted the Friday after she had arrived. They'd had a week as a family before the surgery, that was enough for them. Bella picked up Jacob from school and the ride to the hospital was silent. Rebecca was already in recovery and resting when they got there.

Bella sat next to Jacob, not sure what to say. There wasn't a lot that could be said in a situation like this, so she held his hand and let him lean against her when he needed her. Jacob hadn't been sleeping since he came home. He spent most nights running patrol with Sam, preparing for when he would be made Alpha once Billy was well enough to do the passing of responsibility ceremony.

The doctor came out to meet them three hours after Jacob had gotten there. The surgery had gone well and they had been able to remove both kidney's at the same time. They were hoping that Billy would be able to function with only one kidney. Only time would tell.

Everyone left leaving Jacob and Rachel alone so that they could see Rebecca and Billy before visiting hours ended. Rachel planned to drop Jacob off at the Swan's so that he could get some much needed rest. Bella hoped that Jacob took his sister's advice and took a few days to relax and decompress. He'd had to deal with one thing after another and it was starting to take a toll on him.

Bella was awake when Rachel dropped Jacob off just before midnight. He was loaded down with bags so she opened the door to the guest bedroom downstairs where Billy and Rebecca would be staying. Jacob would be spending the next few weeks at the 'Sofa Hotel'; at least that's what Charlie thought. They crept past Charlie's door hearing his soft snoring.

Jacob lay on his back while Bella lay on her stomach with her chin resting on her arm. She watched him, taking in his tired, defeated features. She had never seen him like this. He wasn't the type to think the worst or give up when things got hard. If things didn't change everything would come crashing down around them.

"You should sleep," she said soothingly.

"I can't," he said with a sigh.

"What's going on?" she pressed gently.

"What if I'm not good enough? What if my dad doesn't get better?" he asked, scared.

"What if you're not good enough to be Alpha? If you don't think that you can do it than you need to talk to Sam. I'm sure he felt the same way when he became Alpha. And you have to believe that your dad will get better. You can't go into being Alpha with the doubts that you have," she reasoned.

"I know," he said mutedly.

"Get some sleep. You'll feel better once you do."

"You're right," he said with a weak smile.

"I usually am," she said confidently.

"Thank you," he said, closing his eyes.

His deep, even breathing filled the room a minute later. Bella pulled the blanket up then snuggled closer to him. She was asleep almost as soon as she closed her eyes.

XXXX

Bella was surprised to see Emily when she came into the store on Monday. Kourtney was doing inventory in the back and the store was pretty much dead as Emily made her way to the register. She smiled warmly in greeting when Bella met her at the side counter.

"It looks good on you," Emily said, gesturing to Bella's necklace.

"Thank you," Bella said, reaching up to touch it, sometimes she forgot that she was wearing it.

"I've been meaning to come in here, I haven't been here in years," she said looking around the store.

"You've been here before?"

"I lived less than twenty minutes from here when I was growing up."

"I didn't realize that there was another reservation close by."

"Just north of here," Emily said with a nod.

"I'm glad that you came in. I haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah, just before I found out about this guy," she said, rubbing her bulging belly.

"Has it really been that long? I'm sorry," Bella said with remorse.

"No apologies needed. You had your own set of problems. It's good to know that you're doing better doing now."

"Much better," Bella said with an affirming nod.

"I came in to talk to you about the necklace."

"What about it?"

"I gave one to Rachel and Kim when they became imprints. I had a good feeling about you the day that I met you. It's hard to believe that it was less than a year ago. I've prayed so hard for Jacob to imprint on you that everyone thought that I was crazy," she said with a short laugh.

"All of the imprints have a necklace like this one?"

"Well, each one is different. I should explain the story behind it. Each imprint holds the key to their respective wolves future. Alot is riding on each of us, and I wanted something to tie us together, kind of like the pack in a way."

"But you gave me this before Jacob imprinted on me," Bella said as the news sank in.

"Like I said, I had a good feeling about you," Emily said with a smile.

A group of women came in and Emily pushed away from the counter with a wave. Bella felt like she was on cloud nine as she walked over to assist one of the women with something. She hadn't realized that she had made such an impression on Emily when they first met. It was like her friendship with Alice, who she missed terribly. The Cullen's had made themselves scarse since Edward left. She made a mental note to go and see them soon.

She lost track of time and before she knew it her shift was over and she needed to get home. Rebecca was being released from the hospital and Ina needed to be picked up from the airport. Rachel was picking Ina up and getting her settled into a hotel so it was up to Bella and Jacob to get Rebecca settled in. She got to the hospital as Rebecca recieved her discharge paperwork. Jacob lifted his sister into Charlie's truck with ease and got her buckled in while Bella threw her bag into the back.

"It's been a while since I've been to Charlie's," Rebecca said nervously.

"Trust me, it hasn't changed," Jacob said with a light laugh.

They pulled up to the house and Sue came out to meet them. She had come over to get the room finished so that Bella wouldn't have to.

"There's no reason why you should run yourself into the ground, it's your job to keep Jake from doing that. Dinner is in the oven and I'll be over in the morning."

"I don't have to at work until one," Bella let her know.

"I know. Like I said, you aren't doing this on your own. I'll see you three bright and early," she called over her shoulder as she walked down the walkway.

Jacob was working on his homework when Charlie came home an hour later. Bella was sorting laundry and the washing machine was filling up with water so she didn't hear Charlie clear his throat.

"Bells!" he said over the roar of water.

She jumped three feet in the air, hitting her head on the shelf that held the laundry products. Luckily, Charlie pulled her out of the way before the container of Tide Pods conked her on the head. The packs spilled onto the floor and Bella groaned in frustration. She rubbed the small bump on her head with a sigh before picking up the mess.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said apologetically.

"You never do," she said in disdain.

"How long have you guys been home?"

"An hour."

"How did you manage to make beef stroganoff and get the laundry together in an hour?" he asked perplexed.

"Sue made dinner; it should be ready soon. I still need to heat up some soup for Bec," she said as she brushed past him.

"I already did it," Jacob called from the living room.

"It looks like the two of you make a good team," Charlie said with a smile.

Bella smiled in appreciation. It meant a lot that her dad approved of her relationship with Jacob. She knew that it wouldn't bother him since he thought of Jacob as the son he never had. She was more worried about how he would react when things got more serious and the conversations that they had about Jacob became more awkward. Charlie didn't handle awkward situations well and Bella was not looking foward to it.

XXXX

Jacob was keeping something from her, she could feel it. He'd gotten a call that morning and he hadn't been the same since. Bella had asked him about it but he had quickly changed the subject. After lunch she found him sitting on the front stoop. She sat next to him, pulling her jacket tight around her to ward off the chill.

"I know something is going on and I swear if you change the subject you will be sleeping on the couch for the rest of your time here," she threatened.

"We have somewhere to be in an hour," he said vaugely.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I tried to get out of it..." he said, then cut himself off.

Her phone chirped and she answered it with a sigh.

"Hey Alice."

"Why did I just have a vision of you jumping off a cliff again?" she asked, panicked.

"I'll call you back," she said quickly.

She turned her head to look at Jacob, her eyes thin slits. He turned to look at her with a helpless look.

"Why am I cliff jumping?" she asked accusingly.

"Technically, we both are. You're being initiated today."

"I'm what?"

"All of the wolves and their imprints had to do it at some point. Apparently there's a low tide today which is perfect for jumping."

"It's twenty degrees!" she argued.

"It was in the teens and snowing when Jared and Kim did it last year," he said with a shrug.

"What if I get sick?"

"Then I'll take care of you," he said with sincerity.

Bella opened her phone with a sigh and sent Alice a text to let her know that everything was fine. She had her reservations about jumping but she wasn't going to tell Jacob that. Flashbacks of her last jump flitted through her mind. She knew that she had nothing to worry about, Jacob would be with her, just like he had been last time.

He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. If she was going to jump, than she was going to be prepared. Inside, she grabbed a change of clothes, a blanket and made a pot of hot chocolate. Jacob watched her with a bemused expression. Once she finished she turned to him.

"What's with the look?"

"You aren't nervous?"

"I am, that's why I'm keeping myself busy; it takes my mind off of it," she stated.

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't worry. It'll be over before you know it," he promised.

"Is anyone else doing it?"

"Nope, Rachel and Paul got lucky and had to do it last summer."

She nodded as she pack her clothes, blanket and the thermos of hot chocolate into a bag. They walked towards the wooded area across from her house hand in hand. Once she was in his arms and the bag was situated on her shoulder properly he took off. The woods were a blur and if Bella's face wasn't buried in his neck she'd be feeling the chill bite her cheeks.

They were at the cliffs in less then ten minutes. The only people there were Sam, Emily, Rachel, Embry, and Quil. Emily smiled at Bella as Jacob set her down. They were on the lower shelf so Bella felt a little better about jumping. Nothing but blue sky stretched out as the far as the eye could see. Jacob stripped down to his basket ball shorts while Bella handed her bag over to Rachel.

They stood on the edge hand in hand while Sam explained the rules. They weren't allowed to just step off and everyone would judge them and if they felt that it wasn't up to par Jacob and Bella would have to jump again.

"On the count of three," Sam said.

Sam counted down and Jacob looked over at her and she nodded and then they sprung off the cliff at the same time. She could hear not only the wind whipping around them but Jacob's laughter. She let out an excited yell just before hitting the water. She came up less than two hundred yards from the shoer, turning to look for Jacob. He surfaced twenty feet from her.

She laughed excitedly as she shoved her hair out of her eyes. He flashed her a grin before swimming to her.

"Was it so bad?"

"No, but I'm freezing," she said through clenched teeth.

He gathered her in his arms and carried her to where Rachel waited with her bag. Bella found a place to change then wrapped the blanket around her. Jacob had a cup of hot chocolate waiting for her when she came back. She would rather have had coffee, but Jacob wasn't a coffee drinker and she was thinking of him when she made it. He cradled a cup in his hands as she leaned into him. Everyone left and they had the beach to themselves. She couldn't put into words how happy she was that the pack and the imprints accepted her. She wasn't the type of person to value peoples opinion of her but this was different, she and Jacob were tied together forever and there was nothing could seperate them. Little did they know that their bond was about to be tested.

**Dun, dun, dun! Don't you just hate when that happens? I'm contemplating how long I should keep you all waiting. I know what I want to happen but I still have to get it out of my head and onto my comp. So you guys will have to wait a week, at least. As usual, let me know what you all think. Love you all!**


	10. An Unlikely Ally

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**AN: I felt so bad for leaving you all hanging that I decided to put this out now. I didn't want to make you wait or keep you on the edge of your seats any longer.**

Bella had been busy in the week following Billy's release from the hospital. Rebecca was on the mend and able to help out a little. The only time Bella felt like she wasn't being pulled in different directions was when she was with Jacob. He did everything from running errands to starting dinner. Jacob was riveling in his time with Billy.

She had been so wrapped up in taking care of Billy that she hadn't gone to see the Cullen's like she had planned earlier in the week. She hadn't thought twice about them until Alice's number flashed across her cell phone as she and Jacob cleaned the kitchen after lunch. She wiped her soapy hands on a towel before answering her phone.

"Hey, Alice," she said breezily.

Jacob turned to face her, listening intently to Alice's frantic voice. She'd had a vision that she couldn't discuss over the phone and needed Bella to come over as soon as she could. Bella grabbed her keys and quickly called that she'd be back later to her dad and Rebecca, not waiting for them to answer. She didn't hear Jacob behind her until he grabbed hold of her car door to keep her from shutting it.

"I'm driving," he stated objectively.

Bella got out of the car and walked briskly to the passenger side. It was times like this when she wished that she had a more practical car, one where she could slide across the seat to the other side. Jacob kicked up rocks when he pulled out of the driveway.

"Call Sam and let him know to call a pack meeting for tonight. Tell him I'll explain later," Jacob said, not looking away from the road.

He made a sharp turn onto the treeline lane leading to the Cullen's house making Bella grab hold of her arm rest, she was never more glad that she didn't get car sick than right then. Trees zipped passed them and the car lurched to a stop in front of the Cullen's house less than five minutes after they had left Charlie's.

"You can't do that with this car. It's not meant to go a hundred miles an hour, Jacob," she said once she found her voice.

Jacob ignored her as he jerked his door open. The resounding slam made Bella jump in surprise. Jacob hadn't been this mad since Bella told him her plans to become a vampire in his garage. She hoped that the Jasper was home or that the Cullen's had removed all of their valueables from easy reach. Bella opened her door and slowly got out while Jacob charged through the yard and up the stairs.

A wave of calm crashed over Bella letting her know that Jasper was close by.

"What the hell just happened?" Jacob asked in accusation.

"Jasper used his powers to calm you down," she said quietly.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he asked, anger and accusation still in his eyes.

Jasper opened the door, narrowing his eyes on Jacob. Bella put a hand on Jacob's back to lead him into the house and gave Jasper a grateful look. He nodded with a curt smile. He led them upstairs to the loft that the family used as their family room. Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie flanked Alice who sat on the couch with her hands in her lap, her head cast down.

"Well there's the reason why you can't see her future. The dog is back," Rosalie said giving Jacob a look that could melt the strongest of wills.

"I told you that he was back Rosalie and you know that Alice can see around him at times. This is not the time to be hostile," Carlisle said calmly.

Jacob glared daggers at Rosalie who stared at him smuggly.

_If the weird vampire could control moods then why the hell wasn't he giving blondie a virtual sedative? _Jacob thought to himself.

"Jacob's right. Control your temper or I'll have Jasper do it for you," Edward said from behind Jacob and Bella.

Jacob stiffened while Bella relaxed against him.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd stay out of my head," Jacob said over his shoulder.

"My apologies. Carlisle, why don't you explain why Alice asked Bella to come here?"

"Alice has seen something that we knew would happen eventually but it will be happening sooner that we had hoped," he explained.

Jacob gave Carlisle a confused look while Bella stared at Alice, scared beyond belief.

"Can she not tell us herself?"

"Keep in mind that she can't see the actual outcome," Esme warned.

"The Volturi are coming," Bella whispered.

"Are they?" Jacob asked no one in particular.

"They'll be here sometime within the next month. We don't know when exactly, just that it will be during a snow storm," Carlie answered.

"Why can't she see the outcome?" Jacob questioned.

"We aren't sure. Usually if the pack is a part of something along with us she can see things from our perspective," Edward rationalized.

"Now all she sees is black and she's getting mind numbing headaches," Esme said in concern.

"Why are they coming?" Jacob asked.

"They warned Edward, Alice and Bella that they would be checking on Bella to see if she was still human. We had hoped that they would wait but since Alice sent them a wedding invitation they have decided to pay us a visit."

"The whole guard is coming," Edward informed Jacob and Bella.

"There's nothing that we can do. If we don't let them see her they'll go after her and nothing will stop them from killing her or anyone who gets in their way," Jasper explained.

"So that's it? I coud die either way?" Bella asked, her eyes brimming with tears.

"You foolish human, of course we're not going to let you die," Rosalie admonished her.

"Alright, that's it; do your mood voodoo on her or blondie's getting ripped apart," Jacob warned.

Rosalie scoffed at Jasper before relaxing against Esme. Carlisle, Jacob, Edward, and Jasper left the room to discuss things leaving Bella standing in the middle of the room. Esme helped Rosalie sit down next to Alice who was now hunched over with her head in her hands. Esme crossed the room to pull Bella to the couch. Alice flinched when Esme kneeled in front of them, gathering them into her arms.

In Carlisle's office the men sat at the office table waiting for Emmett to show up. He had been hunting with a member of the Denali clan and had no idea what was going on. Jacob had called Sam and had filled him in on what was happening. Carlisle wanted the pack there so that they could discuss a plan together. There was talk of bringing in more vampires, some of whom didn't share the Cullen's lifestyle choice. They would need witnesses.

"What would happen if we hide Bella? How can you know what will happen?" Sam asked.

"We've already considered it, Alice has seen what would happen," Edward said.

"What happens?" Embry questioned.

"Not only do Jacob and Bella die but so does a third of our family along with a few other members of the pack, not to mention that Alice will be forced to join the Volturi," Jasper explained.

"So we should go forward with option A," Emmett stated.

All were in agreement that option A was there best bet even if Alice couldn't see the outcome. It would be best if they acted now and were on the safe side. Carlisle made some calls and the pack left to tell the elders what was happening. Now wasn't the time to do anything rash. They all needed to be level headed and not make any quick decisions.

XXXX

With her future up in the air Bella was more on edge than normal. Patrols became more frequent and Carlisle called at least twice a a day with updates. Alice was getting snippets of what would happen and everyone was using the information to their advantage. The Cullen's house was filling with vampires and the pack was growing by the day. Some of the boys joining were even younger than Seth, barely teenagers which made them unreliable. Jacob spent all of his time on the reservation training them since he would be Alpha soon.

Bella threw herself into work, taking as many shifts as she could so that she didn't have to think about her future which as of right now unknown. There wasn't a chance of snow for another week, but that was looking like the day that the Volturi would arrive. Everything was happening at a dizzying speed that Bella found herself more stressed out than ever. She spent her nights worrying about Jacob and her days were spent checking her phone for news from the Cullen's. She had it easy compaired to Jacob who was juggling all of the preparations for what would happen plus school.

Charlie, Billy, and Rebecca were purpously kept out of the loop. Quil Sr. was the acting chief until Billy was well enough to handle things, so all decisions were cleared by him. If he hadn't liked the Cullen's before, he was starting to understand them better now. The less Billy knew the better, Jacob would tell him everything once he was better. There was no use telling him when there was nothing that he could do.

Jacob should have been spending more time with his dad and concentrating more on school but he couldn't lose his focus. Bella was doing his homework for him so that was one less thing he didn't have to worry about. He found her dictating a paper he had due in a couple of days using some kind of software she had gotten for Christmas. All you had to do was speak into a headset and whatever you said came up on the screen.

She waved over her shoulder, not stopping what she was doing. He lay down on her bed with a sigh, thankful to have a few hours of down time. A piece of paper hit his arm and he unraveled it.

_I love you._

He looked up to see Bella watching him.

"Love you too," he said with a tired smile.

She held up a hand to let him know that she was almost done and he closed his eyes once more. He fell asleep to the sound of Bella talking about the turning points of the Cold War.

Bella sighed in relief ten minutes later as she clicked print. After an hour and an half she was glad to be done and she needed something to drink. She saved the file then shut down her computer. She stretched; feeling her shoulders, lower back and a few places along her spine crack in relief. She rolled her neck a few times to loosen it as she walked down the stairs.

Rebecca and Billy wre watching a movie in the living room and her dad had left for work while she was working on Jacob's paper. She didn't mind doing things like that for Jacob since he was heading the fight for her life along with Jasper and Edward. She would do everything she could to help as long as it meant that Jacob had time for herself. She could hear his snoring from the bottom of the stairs when she asked Rebecca and Billy what they wanted for dinner.

"That depends. What I want and what I can have are two different things," Billy grumbled.

"What do you want within reason?" Bella asked with an amused smile.

"Your home made chicken noodle soup would be nice. But when I'm up for it you'd better make some four alarm chili."

"Sure," she promised.

"I'm fine with soup," Rebecca said.

"I can make you something else," Bella offered.

"It's pointless for you to make two different dinners," Rebecca said with an eye roll.

"Who said I'd be making two dinners? I've got some soup in the freezer, all I have to do is heat it up."

Rebecca thought for a minute before her face brightened.

"I heard Quil say that you knew how to make shrimp and grits."

"Shrimp and grits it is."

"Nevermind about the soup, I want shrimp and grits too," Billy chimed in.

"Okay," Bella said with a laugh.

She was nearly done with dinner when Jacob came down. He set the table for the two of them since Rebecca still had trouble sitting at the table for long periods of time. He sat on the counter playing a game on Bella's phone as she finished. She doled out food for the two of them while Jacob took food to his dad and sister.

Jacob had an hour before he had to run patrol so he spent it with his dad and Rebecca went to her and Billy's room for the night. Jacob and Billy watched TV in silence until Billy turned off the sound.

"This job you have, you haven't told me much about it," he broached.

"I do security work for the hospital," he explained.

"And it doesn't interfere with your school work? I heard what Bella was doing upstairs earlier," he said giving Jacob an even look.

"I wrote that paper. She just put it on her computer because it had to be typed."

"I guess I can understand that. So you won't be home late?"

"No Dad, I should be home by eleven thirty since it's a school night."

"I'm not being nosy son, I'm just worried about you. I've hardly seen you at all the past few days."

"I know. Things will slow down and I won't have to work as much once I'm done with the training course I'm required to take," Jacob promised.

Jacob took his dad back to the spare bedroom and got him settled down for the night before going upstairs to tell Bella goodnight. He was on patrol with Edward tonight. They hadn't talked since the day at the Cullen's but Edward had been nothing but nice to him.

Edward was waiting when he stepped outside half an hour later. Jacob pulled up his hood to ward off the rain as they sat on the porch. Leah and Seth were running the peremiter and were to report back periodically. Edward and Jacob were staying close to the house in case someone slipped past the others.

"I know that it isn't easy lying to your father," Edward said to break the silence.

"What would you know about lying to your parents? From what I hear you've only lied to Bella; for her own good of course," Jacob answered creduously.

"Keeping my family at bay and hiding are just as bad as lying," Edward murmured.

"So you're not in college right now?"

"I've been in Brazil. It hasn't been easy to keep Alice from finding me, but I think I finally got her off my trail."

"And now you've given yourself away."

"She knows to leave me alone. It only took her five months," he said dryly.

"Why didn't you break things off with Bella sooner? Why ask her to marry you only to leave on your wedding day?"

"I tried everything I could think of to dissuade her from choosing my life. You know how stubborn she is; once she thinks she wants something she'll stop at nothing until she gets it."

"That is true."

"I want to apologize for giving you so much grief. I know how you felt about her but I wasn't willing to let her go until she vocalized her feelings. By then you were already gone."

"There's nothing wrong with fighting for the person you love. You aren't the person I thought you were," Jacob said with a shake of his head.

"I wish I could say the same for you, it would give me a reason to hate you. You're a good person Jacob and I know that you'll not only love Bella in a way that she deserves but you'll lead your tribe with loyalty and dignity."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Jacob. Now go inside and get a proper night's rest," he ordered.

Jacob was up the stairs and in Bella's room before the front door could close. Bella was in bed but she was watching TV. She watched him curiously as he stripped down to his boxer briefs. He slid into bed with her and she drew close to him. He kissed her temple and she turned off the TV. They lay awake in the quiet and hoped that it would be a quiet night for the pack and the Cullen's. They were both in need of a good night's rest.


	11. A Little Help Would be Nice

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of it's characters. They belong to the always awesome Stephenie Meyer.**

**AN: I am going to take a few minutes to do something that I don't normally do, but I have to give credit where it is due. I was feeling a little self-deprecating when I updated one of my stories a few weeks ago and one of you guys called me out on it. Dottyanne is someone that I have had many conversations with and she is a delightful person. She also has a story that I am in the middle of reading and I wanted to recommend it to you guys because it is phenominal. I know a good writer when I see one and she has real talent. Her story Guilty is one of the best that I've read recently. So I encourage all of you to go and read it because you'll be sorry if you don't because it's that good.**

Nothing could prepare Bella for what happened once the Cullen's and the pack started prepairing for their unwanted visitors. She was wracked with guilt. A thousand questions flittered through her mind and all of them had the same answer: She was just as gulliable as a damsel in distress in one of the many bad horror movies that Jacob had forced her to watch in the early stages of their friendship.

She felt like a sitting duck with a neon arrow with the words 'you're next' flashing over her head. Jacob wasn't letting her be a part of the planning process and she was being watched twenty-four/seven. The only good thing to come out of the situation was that Jacob and Edward were getting along.

Jacob was running himself ragged every night. He was losing his focus in school and his grades were starting to suffer because he found himself falling asleep at school at least once a day. He was piling more responsibility on himself than anyone else and it was starting to take a toll on him.

Bella worried about Jacob whenever they weren't together. She was losing sleep and she had kept Charlie up the last two nights in a row with all the noise she was making. He found her vaccuming the living room at two 'o clock one morning when he'd decided that he'd had enough. He unplugged the vaccum and she whirled around in surprise.

"Did you forget that there are people sleeping?" he asked tiredly.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't sleep," she said apologetically with a sigh.

"Trust me, I know. You're lucky that Bec can sleep through anything."

"But I can't," Billy called form the spare room.

Bella drug a hand through her hair nervously before sitting on the couch. She placed her hands in her hair as she felt her throat tighten. She was not the type of girl who cried over the smallest thing. Her lack of sleep was starting to wreak havoc on her emotions. She could hear Charlie in the kitchen running water then rummaging through the cabinets. He put something in the microwave and three minutes later it beeped to let Charlie that it was ready. He brought Bella a cup of tea so hot that it had steam billowing from it. He cradeled his phone between his shoulder and ear but the person on the other end was talking in hushed tones.

She took the tea and placed it on the coffee table knowing that it was too hot to drink. Charlie hung up with a sigh a few seconds later.

"Please tell me that you didn't call Jake," she grumbled.

"No, I called Dr. Cullen, he's sending one of his boys over. He said he'd be able to help you sleep. He didn't tell me why though."

"Is it Edward?"

"No, the one that was with him the day Jacob told me the truth. The blond one, his name starts with a J, right?"

"His name is Jasper."

"How will he be able to help you to sleep?"

"He can control people's moods; he's an empath."

"Ah," Charlie said with a nod.

Charlie urged her to drink her tea before going back upstairs. She went to check on Billy and apologize for waking him up.

"It's alright. I'm worried about him too. Get some sleep and you'll feel better," he said with an easy smile.

She sat at the table drinking her tea when headlights flashed through the window. She set her cup in the sink beofre making her way upstairs. Jasper was already sitting in the rocking chair, shrouded in darkness. She knew better than to say anything because odds were that he wouldn't say anything back. She heaved a heavy sigh as she got comfortable underneath the covers.

"Sleep well, Bella," Jasper encouraged her soothingly.

She felt all of her weariness and fatigue leave her and peace and calm replaced them. She was asleep within minutes. She never heard Jacob come in or Jasper leave at dawn. She slept through Jacob climbing into bed with her and wrapping his arms around her in protection. He didn't like being put into a situation where he had to fight for her safety again but he did not blame her for it. He would defend her without complaining and when it was over they were going to have a long talk about what would happen in the future.

XXXX

Rachel had woken them up early the next afternoon so that Jacob could go to a meeting with the Cullen's. Bella saw Seth, Brady, and Colin in the front yard while Rachel explained to her that they had plans.

"Do these plans include my entourage?"

"You know they do. You need to take your mind off of things."

"Can I get something to eat first? My stomach is starting to claim mutiny."

"You can eat where we're going. The sooner you change the sooner we can leave," Rachel said, gently pushing her up the stairs.

"What about Rebecca and your dad?"

"Bec decided to stop playing the invalid card. She's gonna stay with him. Hurry up," she ordered her.

Bella changed quickly and was back downstairs in five minutes. The boys were as excited to see her as she was to see them. Seth, Colin, and Brady reminded her of a younger Jacob, Quil, and Embry. They climbed into the bed of Paul's truck while the girls rode shotgun. Bella hadn't spent much time with Rachel since Jacob had come home. She felt guilty because Rachel had become one of her closest friends; much to Paul's dismay.

"Where are we going?" Bella asked over the roar of wind rushing into the cab.

"Sam and Emily's. You need a girls day."

She did need a girls day, a day where she didn't have to think or worry about what was going on. Soon, they were pulling into Sam and Emily's yard. Sam was working on his jeep and nodded politely as the girls passed. Emily was sitting on the porch wrapped in a thin blanket and the girls sat with her.

"What is it about guys working on cars that is so intriguing to a girl?" Rachel asked.

"The fact that they can fix something with their bare hands. Right Bella?" Emily asked.

"She's right. I could watch Jake work on the Rabbit for hours."

"I rest my case and since you asked that question that tells me that Paul knows nothing about cars which is hilarious. Now, can the two of help me up? I should have listened when Sam told me I'd have trouble getting up," she said with a sigh.

"I've got her," Sam said before Bella and Rachel could reach for Emily.

In the house Bella got her fill of blueberry pancakes and maple flavored sausage. Rachel and Emily watched her devour three plates before she decided that she was full.

"Don't look at me like that. I hadn't eaten in over twenty-four hours," she said impishly.

"Jacob's not eating either, at least not while he's here," Emily admitted.

"Today's the first time I've seen him in days. Usually he's alseep when I wake up and when I get home he's gone."

"This will be over soon. I overheard Sam and Jacob talking last night. It's supposed to be happen this weekend."

"Maybe you and Jake could go and visit your mom after this all blows over," Rachel thought out loud.

"That'd be nice," Bella agreed.

The subject was changed and Bella let herself relax and enjoy a few hours of girl time. The last time she'd done anything like this had been before she and Edward had gotten engaged. She really needed to unwind more often. Rachel left to go to work and Emily turned the conversation back towards her and Jacob.

"Stress aside, how are the two of you doing?"

"Good, I guess. It's not easy keeping the fact that we share a bed every night from my dad. It's good to be able to see him every day again," she said with a small smile.

"He was making the transition to Alpha when all of this happened. With all that's going on Sam thinks he's having second thoughts," she admitted.

"I wouldn't know. He doesn't talk to me about it," Bella said quietly, looking down at the table.

"What's going isn't your fault. You have to know that," she reassured her.

"It is my fault. I knew what I was getting into before Edward and I started dating, I just didn't care," she said with a sigh.

"People do crazy things to protect the people that they love when they're in danger. You, Jacob, and your ex are living proof of that. Jacob loves you so much that he's willing to risk everything. Sam is the only person that I've ever loved like that. I can't imagine what you've been through," she said in astonishment.

"Hell, this is my fourth time now," she answered with a tight smile.

"Is it okay that we're talking about it?"

"It is, you've given me a different perspective on things."

Emily smiled sadly before placing a hand on Bella's. Bella flipped her hand over and linked their fingers together. She had finally found someone who understood what she was going through and was willing to let her vent. She would find a way to thank Emily, even if it took her the rest of her life.

XXXX

If Jacob didn't stop what he was doing he wouldn't be able to face the Volturi. Sam understood that Jacob had a lot of going on but torturing himself wasn't the answer. He asked Seth to pass a message to Jacob to let him know that he needed to talk to him.

Jacob showed up at Sam and Emily's just in time for dinner. The smell of Bella's chicken parmisiana hit him in the face and his mouth watered at the prospect of eating a homecooked meal. Bella must have given Emily the recipe. He phased and dressed quickly and was greeted by Bella as soon as he stepped inside. He held her tightly, glad that she was there. Sam came down the stairs and Emily stepped through the back door silently.

Sam set the table while Emily pulled dinner out of the oven. The guys ate quietly while Bella and Emily made idol chatter.

"You'd think that the two of you would have run out of things to talk about," Sam stated.

"Honey, we're girls. We'll always find something to talk about," Emily said with a roll of her eyes.

"Can you stay here for a while? I want to talk to you about something," he informed Jacob.

"Sure."

"Great! You two can talk while you clean the kitchen," Emily said brightly.

"Looks like we walked right into that one," Jacob said with a light laugh.

"Come on Bella, I'll show you my plans for the garden."

Jacob knew something was up as soon as he walked in but he had brushed it off. Sam had used Bella as a buffer and now that she wasn't in the room he had no choice but to put things out in the open.

"Are you okay?" Sam broached.

Jacob looked up from the table, his arm frozen in mid-air giving him a quizical look.

"In general? I'm good," he said with a short laugh.

"I only ask because I know you have a lot going on and I worry that it's too much for you too soon."

"I don't really have a choice,"Jacob said with a shrug.

"Of course you do. I can stay on as Alpha if you feel that aren't ready."

"That's what I was talking about. I meant the whole defending what's ours routine," Jacob explained.

"I know that you can handle it, but aren't there things that you want to do first? Go to college, travel, be as normal a teenager as you can be?"

"Of course I want those things, but it's not realistic. I know you're trying to help but I'm not someone who goes back on their word," he said in defense.

"I know and I'll always answer whatever questions you have. I don't like the diea that you were strong armed into doing what the elders wanted," Sam said with a shake of his head.

"To think that I blamed my dad's pushing my tribal duties on you. You're not the bad guy I thought you were."

"And you're not the piss ant I thought you were," he said with a smirk.

"Do I really have to put up with Paul until Seth is ready?" he asked with a groan.

Sam nodded with an apologetic look. Seth didn't even know that he was destined to become second in command. A Clearwater had been second in command of every pack since the very first one three hundred years ago. Sam had a feeling that Seth would handle the transition the way he did everything else. The kid had nerves of steel and an unflappable sense of right and wrong. The pack would be in good hands with Jacob and Seth at the helm.


End file.
